Regain his Lost Wings
by HolyGrail2007
Summary: When a new evil threatens the world, Lavitz is sent back to aid his friends. Together, they must defeat an evil force with ambition far too great for the world, while conquering his own problems of misplaced identity, past hate, and what it truly means to
1. Mayfil: Destiny and Life

The most depressing thing about Mayfil was probably that the sun never rises, Lavitz thought to himself. Mayfil did have the nauseating stench of death about it, but one got used to it, plus Lavitz had been cramped into tight places with several soldiers where hygiene wasn't exactly their strongpoint.  
"I guess death isn't all that bad. With all the spirits around here, I'm never bored. There is always someone to talk to." Most spirits wailed in suffering, in anguish at their own deaths, but those who accepted their deaths in life were able to keep some of the vestiges of their sanity in death. Most of these were the elderly, and they always had stories to tell. Many people that had been Lavitz's age had been cut down in wars, or taken by illness, so they would shriek and wail like everyone around them cared to listen.  
  
Even knights Lavitz knew, he tended to ignore. Seeing people in the Serdian War brought back such terrible memories. Lavitz was a warrior, but that didn't mean he enjoyed conflict. Although when Dart and company had come through Mayfil, they had told Lavitz about what happened, that Basil had won the war, and Serdio was united.  
  
That memory brought tears to the soldier's eyes. He had seen all of his friends for that short while, and during most of that time, that demon Zackwell had attached itself to Lavitz's spirit. He couldn't remember what happened when he was possessed by the demon, but he did remember that Dart and King Albert had sliced the parasite-like fiend off of his back and then attacked all out on the creature. But the spirit drew on Lavitz's own emotions to function.  
"Dammit." Lavitz cursed. "I shouldn't have been so weak." During Dart's mission, Lavitz couldn't help but worry, even after that swordsman Lloyd shoved his sword through Lavitz's chest. At first, death had been restless, like an oblivion with troubling dreams. But King Albert was safe, and that was what mattered. When Lavitz had seen them again, Albert had inherited Lavitz's Jade Dragoon Spirit. That thought made Lavitz smile, even if it made him worry that the King was going out and fighting. Dart, Rose, and Master Haschel were still there, but Lavitz was interested with the newcomers. The first was Kongol, the large Giganto that attacked in Hoax. Strangely, seeing the large brute didn't make Lavitz mad one bit, despite the nearly broken arm the brute gave him back then. The second was Meru, an extremely spirited girl who was actually a Wingly. Lavitz had never met a Wingly before, until Dart told him that Lloyd was indeed one, but there wasn't much difference between Winglies and humans. Meru had bright platinum hair and dressed with the impression that "less was more", which made the conservative Lavitz blush a little, but she was truly a cheerful, pleasant young girl who was as brave as she was spirited. The last was a Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, the Sister Miranda, a blonde woman who dressed in light armor and had who had the deadly aim of a hawk snatching prey. That made Lavitz notice that Shana was not around, but Dart explained that they were rescuing the young girl, and that, in Mille Seseau, Shana's White Silver Dragoon spirit had rejected her and chosen Miranda as it's master instead.  
"I suppose not all the spirits keep their masters. Doel's wouldn't stay, and...neither would mine, it seems."  
  
Lavitz had met the spirits of the old Dragoons, and he enjoyed hearing the story of the Dragon Campaign over and over again, it never seemed to get old. Suyveil was the old Jade Dragoon, a studious young man. He reminded Lavitz so much of Albert, who made it a point to learn as much as possible, then go around talking like everyone knew what he was talking about. Belzac was the old Golden Dragoon, and he was the kindest man Lavitz had ever known. Damia, the old Blue Sea Dragoon, was cheerful and upbeat, like Meru, but not as intense. If Meru was the person who tried to make everyone feel better by laughing, then Damia was the person who tried to make everyone feel better by her gentle and soft optimism. Kanzas was the old Thunder Dragoon, and he was one nasty mother. Lavitz tended to avoid him, and as such, he didn't know that much about him. With so many people, Lavitz never felt alone. It seemed to power of friendship transcended death.  
  
There were a few people Lavitz wanted to meet that he knew when he was alive. His father, Servi, was one. They talked on occasion, but Servi had forgotten most of his memories when he was alive, and so, he mostly listened. Greham was also here, and often there would be spear-sparring matches for fun. However, thinking about his life had always made him worry about those still left alive: Dart, Shana, King Albert, Mother. So Lavitz tended not to talk much, and much preferred to listen.  
  
He drifted along through shadowy corridors, rooms of a sort. This was a place Lavitz frequented, although he was not trapped here like so many others. Shirley, the original White Silver Dragoon, had said these rooms were like a purgatory of sorts. Spirits who had such intense emotions were banished to this place to have them burned away. Lavitz was free to come and go as he pleased, and he shouldn't be here, but since Zackwell had used Lavitz, he could wander this place without being seen unless he wished to be seen.  
  
Lavitz then came to a room where there was some kind of spirit in the center. This spirit reminded Lavitz of the dragon Feyrbrand, but it wasn't the same thing: Dart had mentioned before that they had put the spirit of Feyrbrand to rest. But still, something drew Lavitz to this spirit. It was a dragon, and he was bound with spectral chains that kept him secured between two pylons. Every so often, the dragon screeched, a horrible, guttural scream. There appeared to be some specter looking at the dragon, and it appeared to be taunting the beast. That made Lavitz angry, but there was nothing he could do, he didn't want to be seen in this place. Eventually, the spirit left, disappearing through the wall. Lavitz came closer to the spirit, and looked upon his form. He wasn't as large as Feyrbrand, but he was still impressive in size. Lavitz then decided to make his presence known to the dragon. At the sight of this newcomer, the dragon recoiled, almost in fear.  
"Don't be afraid." Lavitz said softly. His calm voice seemed to quiet the creature.  
"It...it understood me?" Lavitz wondered. He was only hoping that the soft tone of his voice would soothe it, but it seemed to have a spark in its eyes that suggested it understood what Lavitz was talking about.  
"Do...do you understand me?" Lavitz asked. He might as well have asked this obvious question. The dragon spirit nodded slightly. Lavitz wondered, how was this possible?  
"That is the Diamond Bloom Dragon." Came a familiar female voice. Lavitz was startled, but he stopped when he saw Rose, hovering slightly. He had seen Rose when she had died, and she filled Lavitz in on what went on, about the Wingly dictator Melbu Frahma and how the Second Dragoon Campaign was apparently a complete success.  
"Can you tell me about it?" Lavitz asked.  
"This dragon was killed in the Dragon Campaign." Rose responded. Neither she nor Lavitz had much of a concept of time anymore, so the 11,000 years between the Dragon Campaign and now didn't seem so old to them. "I'm not exactly sure, but I believe this beast was killed by humans and Gigantos working together. Being defeated by apparently lowly spirits must've been horrible to it, and such, it was confined here."  
"Why can he understand me?" Lavitz asked.  
"He understands you because, despite your death, you are still a Dragoon, you control Dragons, remember. The power of the Dragoon transcends death, and that power involves speech with dragons."  
"I see." Lavitz responded, then he turned back to the dragon. He put his hand on the dragon's skin; it felt scaly and cold, even to a spirit like Lavitz.  
"Are you alright? Is there some way I can help you?" Lavitz asked the dragon. It didn't give a reply, but Lavitz was drawn to the open cuts in the dragon's scales, and a tear dropped from his eye.  
"You're suffering!" Lavitz said sympathetically. His heart ached for the spirit; death was supposed to be a release from pain, not where more could come.  
"Is there some way I can help you? Rose, maybe you could use your..."  
"If you are asking whether I could drain health from someone and give it to the dragon, I cannot. We do not possess our dragoon spirits in death, Lavitz." Indeed, Rose's dark purple dragoon spirit was not present.  
"Well, I can't very well leave him here to be tormented, he's had eleven thousand fucking years of that." Lavitz shocked himself with his strong language. Rose, on the other hand, chuckled.  
"There is only one way I can think of." Rose said, indicating Lavitz's spear. Lavitz looked at it for a second, and then at the dragon.  
"If I killed you, the pain would stop, although I'm not exactly sure what would happen to your body. It's the only thing I can think of. Do you...want me to end the pain?" Lavitz asked. The dragon nodded slightly.  
"All right." Lavitz nodded, drawing up his spear.  
"Be quick, I think I hear someone coming." Rose insisted. Lavitz needed no provoking; he thrust the thin head of his spear between the dragon's scales, shoving it as far as it could go. The dragon made no noise, but Lavitz could swear, as the spectral visage started to fade, that it was smiling at him; thanking him. As the spirit vanished completely, Lavitz noticed that there was one thing left. A round, dark green sphere, which seemed to have formed where the dragon's eye had been. He quickly swiped it and disappeared through the wall with Rose. If anyone were coming in, there would be no evidence that Lavitz Slambert killed that dragon.  
  
"Rose, what's this?" Lavitz asked, holding the sphere up to her.  
"It's a...I'm...not sure." Rose responded amazedly. "What could something like this sphere be?"  
"I think I can answer that." A voice spoke behind them. Lavitz and Rose turned to see the old Dragons from the Dragon Campaign. Syuveil was at the front, and the glimmer in his eyes suggested that he had something very interesting to tell.  
"You can? Then spill the beans, Syuveil. Don't wait for us to ask." Rose commented.  
"That spirit is here because there is an anomaly within the world. Something is upsetting the balance, perhaps because the Moon Child has not been killed. The Moon Child is the embryo of destruction, and she is walking on the planet that she is destined to destroy. The planet itself rebukes Soa's will and wants life, and so, with the Moon Child walking on the earth like this, what happens is the planet struggles. Something...something terrible...has taken advantage of this and reviving Melbu's Frahma's dream. His dream of destroying the world." Syuveil spoke very seriously.  
Lavitz looked lost, but Rose nodded affirmatively. "We are dead, though, Syuveil, what can we do?" The black haired woman asked.  
"We are dead, but not completely. We linger on this world because of the strength of our spirits. You feel it? Every time you just your eyes, you feel a pull that you can't explain?" Shirley asked. Lavitz nodded, he did feel something like that; like someone was tugging on his shirttails as a small child does asking for attention.  
"Perhaps we are dead, but the strength of the spirit denies it." Kanzas said. "It is not easy to understand."  
"A spirit wants to live." Shirley returned. "All things that die want to live."  
"Okay...but what does any of that have to do with any of what's going on? How does a dead spirit help the world?" Lavitz asked.  
"It cannot." Belzac responded. "Only the living can affect the living world."  
"But we are dead, we can't affect it." Rose responded. "Should we spy on the Second Dragoons and goad them on.  
"No, we must send someone to the world of the living." Shirley responded.  
"How?" Lavitz asked.  
"The magic behind it is something not even Syuveil could explain if he had a thousand years. Let's say it's a miracle." Shirley responded.  
"But who could go to the world of the living?" Lavitz asked. Everyone present stared at him.  
"Now, now." Lavitz raised up his hands in protest. "It's true, I like life as much as the next guy, but this isn't natural. Me going back is just going to be..."  
"You think about your mother, and your friends." Damia said with a soft smile.  
"The world is in need of someone. And you are a hero, aren't you, Lavitz?" Kanzas asked with a sarcastic tone.  
"The world has changed in eleven thousand years. It would be folly for one of us to go, as we won't remember anything." Shirley responded.  
"Then what about Rose?"  
"What about Rose?" Rose responded. "My long life was unnatural. Why pervert nature's order on my account further. Besides, that crystal in your hands, I can sense life within it." Lavitz looked at the crystal from the dragon.  
"It's a gift, from someone who was forced to live." Syuveil responded. Lavitz hesistated a second.  
"I'm a little scared. I mean, what happens when someone sees me."  
"Do not think of such selfish things, Lavitz." Zeig, the old Red Eye Dragoon and Rose's now husband, married in death, responded, clasping his hand on Lavitz's shoulder like Dart used to do, sort of a weird male bonding ritual.  
Lavitz smiled. "You're right. My return to life is not just a gift for myself, I'm returning to life because I have a purpose to fulfill. I'll find out what's happening, and then destroy it." He resolved, punching his fist to his hand.  
  
The seven Dragoons, heroes of the Dragon Campaign so long ago, stood in a circle around Lavitz, their hands joined together.  
"It will take all of our strength, but we can do this." Shirley resolved.  
"The Dragoons of the Dragon Campaign unite one last time." Syuveil said, nodding his head.  
"We may not be able to come here again." Belzac said. He was a very kind man, but he always spoke the truth.  
"Well, this is an adventure. The final adventure of our Campaign. After all these years, we'll help save the world one final time." Zeig laughed a little.  
"This is getting really interesting." Kanzas was smiling, but Lavitz found his smile frightening.  
"Be careful, Mr. Lavitz. We don't know exactly what will happen, but we're counting on you." Damia responded sweetly, kissing Lavitz's hand.  
"Lavitz, I believe you will be sent to the city of Ulara, a Wingly city. There, seek out Charle Frahma. If anyone knows about what is going on, and if Melbu is involved again, it will be her." Rose instructed.  
"Charle Frahma...Okay, I'll remember. Thank you all, heroes of the past, for using your strength. I swear that I will use mine to help this world, and find out what has gone wrong. I shall do my best to make this as bloodless as possible." Lavitz gave a little speech. Rose knew what he meant; if the Moon Child, Shana, was the problem, then Lavitz hoped to fix the problem without killing her. She was an important person to so many, after all.  
"Lavitz, hold that crystal from the dragon to your chest." Shirley instructed. Lavitz followed suite, and he could almost feel a faint heartbeat within it, although he was sure he was imaging things.  
"Now shut your eyes." Shirley instructed. Lavitz did so, and for a second, it felt nothing. Later, he felt like someone was grabbing at him, pulling him in an infinite number of directions at the same time.  
"Keep them shut!" Shirley shouted, although her voice sounded strained. Despite how much Lavitz wanted to help Shirley, as she sounded in pain, he kept still, focused on what was happening. After the pulling, he felt really sick, as if someone had sucker punched him in the gut. With a brick. Then, he felt bodiless and drifting, but not like the feeling he got in Mayfil. In the Death City, the emptiness inside was replaced by coldness, the chill of having no anchor, but here, it was just empty; no chill or warmth.  
"Is...did something go wrong?" Lavitz wondered. He hadn't opened his eyes, but he couldn't feel the crystal in his hands. Did he drop it?  
"No." Lavitz answered his own silent question with a silent answer. "I was sure I didn't drop it. It almost felt like...it just...disappeared, like it faded away.  
  
Lavitz then crossed his arms across his chest. It didn't feel like he was in Mayfil, but it didn't feel like he was much of anywhere. What had happened?  
  
But then, Lavitz felt something. A thump, like a boot stomping on hard wood. But there was nothing around here, Lavitz was floating. Plus, the sound was not loud, he didn't really hear it, he felt it. Lavitz dropped his hands to his sides, and he no longer felt it.  
"Was it..." Lavitz pressed his hand to his chest and felt the thump again. His heart was beating! And he could feel air coming through his throat and mouth. Breathing! The simple feeling of Lavitz's heart lurching in his chest made the knight yelp with glee.  
"But now...what happens? Am...am I in the real world, or stuck in some kind of Limbo?" As if t answer Lavitz's question, he felt himself being pushed, a rush of powerful wind behind him pushing him forward. Lavitz still had his eyes shut, but the darkness of his shut eyes began to glow a different color, like when one simply closes their eyes in a light room, and instead of true darkness, there is still a light haze. Lavitz also felt himself growing heavier...solid...as the wind pushed him and sent him towards an unseen destiny. 


	2. Ulara: Confronting a past hate

After what felt like an eternity of feeling nothing, Lavitz found himself lying on something solid. Where was he? He felt something gritty beneath him, sand most likely. Almost cautiously, Lavitz opened his eyes. He was in a desert, the Death Frontier. Rose had told him about this place, how it was a desert with little water and sand whirlpools that sucked unwitting passerby into underground caverns.  
  
But that wasn't the most pressing thing on Lavitz's mind. He had come back into the physical world, in the middle of the desert, with absolutely nothing. He had no weapon, no provisions of water, not even a stitch of clothing. Lavitz reflexively covered himself, but then he realized that until he reached this city of Ulara, that he would probably be alone except for monsters, and they were as naked as he was, and could care less about modesty.  
  
But Lavitz was modest. He knew that he was good-looking, and that was precisely what made him modest, he didn't liked being judged on his looks like a piece of jewelry or slab of meat. He needed something to cover himself, and, more importantly, he needed a weapon.  
  
It didn't take long for Lavitz to find something. There was an overturned wagon, as if it was part of a caravan.  
"What wagon would come out here?" Lavitz wondered. True, Ulara could have sent it, but where would it go, there were mountains almost everywhere Lavitz looked. But he turned his mind to more pressing matters; the wagon appeared to have been abandoned, and that meant there may have been some supplies left.  
  
"Thanks, Dragons." Lavitz nodded a silent prayer to the original seven Dragoons. Raiding the wagon had given Lavitz not only what he needed, but the clothes he found fit him perfectly, as if they were designed for him. They weren't in a style Lavitz would have usually worn, but he was grateful to have them as he slipped on a pair of loose gray pants and a white shirt without sleeves. Although Lavitz enjoyed immensely the prospect of eating and drinking again, even something as coarse as simple bread and something completely tasteless like water, he knew that he had to ration it; he needed to find the city of Ulara first. The only disappointment came in the fact that there wasn't a spear in the pile of weapons. However, thankfully, Lavitz wasn't skilled in just spears. There were a few swords lying in the pile, but their blades were dull. The most serviceable weapon Lavitz could find was a mace, finely wrought in steel. It's design wasn't like the simple mace Lavitz was used to; this one was slender, Lavitz could easily grip the shaft of the weapon in his hands. The mace fattened a little at the top, but it almost looked more like a regal scepter then a mace. However, the soldier could feel the weight in the top end of the weapon. Despite it's frail appearance, he could get a lot of impact in that swing, and severely hurt someone. Lavitz also found a round shield, also made of steel. He picked it up and noticed the design on the front. The shield was completely round, the size of Lavitz's forearm, and was bedecked on the front in gold leaf dyed an impressive green color. It reminded Lavitz of the green he wore in the Serdian Army, but this green was brighter, as if the Serdian uniform could soak up color and had been left in the sun for a few days.  
  
He strapped the shield on his arm and carried the mace at his side. Now, at least, he would be prepared to fight. With situations a little less desperate, Lavitz checked the ground for tracks, hoping that someone who walked on two feet would have come by here, or maybe he'd find the path that the caravan owners took. However, there was nothing. Whether the wind had brushed them away, or whether the owners of the caravan were Wingly and did not walk on the ground Lavitz could not answer, but looking at the ground wasn't helping.  
"Hmmm...if I can get to some high ground, I can look out over the place." Lavitz smiled and started towards the nearest cliffside, but the walls were sheer, almost like they were cut with precise tools. How Lavitz regretted not having his Dragoon spirit!  
"Well, I can't climb..."Lavitz noted, but he thought he heard something nearby. Not people, but the soft rushing sound of water flowing.  
"And water is life in the desert." Lavitz thought. "There might be people of some kind nearby." Smiling at his own overactive imagination, Lavitz stepped carefully towards the sound.  
  
The sound of rushing water was indeed rushing water. It was an oasis, with the rushing sound coming from the small bit of water that rushed out of the rocks. Lavitz stopped for a second and took a long, refreshing drink. It was the best drink he ever tasted, but once he did, he instantly regretted it. He was back in the world of the living, but he wasn't about to do this alone. He needed to find Ms. Charle Frahma, and then the Dragoons, to figure out what was going on and prevent it from destroying the world. And Lavitz truly wanted to see all of his friends again, he had never had people like them before, people he could talk to and trust. He had trusted in his men to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities, and that they would pull through and help the people who were wounded on the battlefield, but that was soldierly, a duty between person and person. Only among the reckless and irresponsible Dart and all of his friends, doing the daring and potentially extremely dangerous, did Lavitz feel really important, and a part of something truly great.  
  
There were people here. Winglies, with some animals that Lavitz had never seen before. They appeared to be younger children, perhaps about 12 or 13. When they noticed the soldier, they looked at him in awe.  
"Are you a human?" A young girl asked.  
"Yes, little girl." Lavitz affirmed.  
"Hey, I'm not a little girl! I'm Koria." She returned. She appeared to be the leader of the group, as the others seemed to crowd behind her and let her do the talking.  
"Well then, Koria. I'm Lavitz, and I'm looking for the city of Ulara. I need to meet with Charle Frahma."  
"Why would Lady Charle want to meet with you?" Koria asked.  
"It's very important, there is something I must tell her. About what I've seen in the Death City Mayfil." At the sound of Lavitz talking, some of the younger ones in the crowd gasped, and a few stepped back. Koria herself tried to look unimpressed, but there was evident fear in her eyes.  
"So." Koria said bravely. "What about Mayfil?"  
"This isn't information for a young child. Please, let me meet with Ms. Frahma." Lavitz pleaded.  
"All...all right. It takes really strong humans to get here. The last ones that came here weren't real humans at all, they were Dragoons!" The girl said amazedly. "I saw them when they came here."  
"How long ago was that?" Lavitz asked. Mayfil didn't really have a concept of time, so Lavitz couldn't tell if it had been two days or twenty years, although the fact that Master Haschel did not appear in Mayfil suggested that it hadn't been long.  
"One month ago to the day. You stupid or something?" Koria asked.  
"I...I was...it's hard to explain. Where is the city?" Lavitz asked politely. The girl led Lavitz to a cliff that looked over a valley, and there, nestled in the bottom of the valley, was a floating city, the city of Ulara.  
"It's beautiful." Lavitz noted.  
"It's just home." Koria responded. Lavitz was shocked that she didn't take the time to admire such beauty and architecture, but then again, she lived there; she was probably used to it.  
  
Lavitz didn't enjoy the teleporters much. It was great that they were so quick, but the light feeling he got while he moved was too much like the light disembodied feeling he had when he was dead.  
"Now that I'm alive again." Lavitz mused. "It's weird to think of myself as once dead." Koria led him to a throne room of sorts, where a tall woman, also with platinum hair, sat and appeared to be looking out the nearby window.  
"Madame Frahma, I've brought a human who wants to meet with you." Koria said. At the sound of the voice, Ms. Charle Frahma turned to regard the two. Lavitz found an urge to bow appropriately, so he bent on one knee.  
  
"Stand up, dearie, there's no need to bow." She responded. Lavitz obeyed, and looked into her face. The old Dragoons had mentioned that Charle was older then Rose herself, but she didn't look it. Rose didn't look old, but Charle looked youthful and vigorous. Her tone gave away that she was a woman with age; she acted like a kindly grandmother. There were no wrinkles on her face, and her hands showed that she, despite a position of high power, did appear to do some work, although probably not swordfighting. Lavitz rather liked that.  
"Koria sweetie, please leave us." Charle told the young girl. With a nod, Koria was out the door, probably going back to take care of those animals.  
"Now then, why have you come to see this old woman?" Charle asked.  
"Milady, although it is difficult for me to say this, I...I was once dead." Lavitz stuttered, the first time he had ever done that his entire life. Charle didn't blink.  
"Although I must say you are the first person I've met that has returned from the call of the dead, I'm old enough to know that miracles and oddities can happen many times." Charle was serious, although she still had a compassionate tone.  
"Ma'am, the Dragoons of the Dragon Campaign..."  
"Are they well?"  
"The last I saw of them, they are well. They send their regards." Lavitz responded. "However, they sent me here to tell you of something. They said that the chaotic planet, with the Moon Child still walking on what she is to destroy, has starting tremoring and quaking as if in fear, for destruction walks on it's shores. However, someone has taken advantage of this and seeks to revive the dream of Melbu Frahma, to purge the world." Lavitz quoted what Syuveil had told him to say. Again, Charle didn't blink, but she took in all of Lavitz's words slowly.  
"I see..." Charle responded. "I understand, dearie, and I know what's going on. Are you very brave?"  
"Er...yes, ma'am." Lavitz responded.  
"Well, then I will tell you a story. Will you listen, hon?" Charle asked.  
"Yes, ma'am. I shall listen." Lavitz sat down and listened intently as Charle started.  
  
"The will of Soa was to destroy the entire world with the 108th species of the Divine Tree, the Virage of Destruction. Melbu found out about this and sealed the fruit away, forever preventing it's release. However, the Winglies back at this time were a bigoted, corrupt society. They enslaved all other races and used them as gladiators and slaves. The humans, led by the Dragoons, whom you have met, fought a war that became known as the Dragon Campaign. The end result was the end of the Wingly empire and the beginning of the Age of Humans. However, Melbu sealed himself in the Dragoon Spirit of the Red-Eye Dragon, and when Zeig used the spirit again, Melbu took control of Zeig's mind and sought to gain the power of the Virage for himself. However, the Second Dragoons, whom you have also met, stopped Melbu again and banished him to the realm of death. However, not everything went as it seemed."  
"Not...everything? What went wrong, Ms. Frahma?" Lavitz asked.  
"Call me Charle." Charle instructed. "What happened is that although the Dragoons defeated Melbu and destroyed the Moon that Never Sets, the seed of the Virage of Destruction is still on this world."  
"Ms...er...Charle, I'm confused. I thought the Moon that Never Sets was the seed of the Virage, and the Moon Child was the...the...uh..."  
"The Moon was the fruit, and the Moon Child was the seed." Charle corrected. "Think of it like this. When a man and a woman make a child..." Charle started to speak about how reproduction habits were similar to the relationship between the Moon that Never Sets and the Moon Child, and Lavitz blushed to the tips of his ears.  
"Lavitz, remember that I am old and experienced." Charle told him. Lavitz knew that, but it didn't stop him from getting embarrassed. Charle was a kindly woman, but she was still a woman, and Lavitz had always found it awkward when women spoke of relationships in that fashion.  
"Umm...now, about the stirrings. I was told that someone has taken advantage of these chaotic times."  
"Yes, and it grieves me to say it. Melbu...Melbu had one son. My nephew, Horven Frahma. He stayed here for the most part after the Dragon Campaign ended, with me, but ever since a month ago, he felt strange stirrings. He grew restless, impatient with me, and irritable. Eventually, after Melbu was defeated, he left. I have nothing concrete, dearie, but I think Melbu may have influenced his son somehow, to carry on his legacy, so to speak."  
"I...I see. I understand, Charle." Lavitz responded, and he immediately began hating Melbu Frahma even more. How could someone, after failing to destroy the world, corrupt his own son to do it know that the father couldn't.  
"You're brave, young Lavitz. I can trust that you will find my nephew."  
"I should tell the Dragoons..." Lavitz stood up.  
"No!" Charle shouted. "Not yet. If Horven sees Dart and the other Dragoons, then he may get upset and attack them. Horven is no warrior; he could never beat six fully trained Dragoon warriors. You shouldn't go with them if you can help it. Please?" Charle pleaded. Lavitz felt his heart melting. She truly loved the boy like a son, and truly, since Dart killed Melbu, having the dictator's son see Dart wouldn't exactly be a joyous occasion.  
"I understand your position, milady. I will go alone."  
"Not alone." Charle instructed. "There is someone else who could go with you."  
"Who?" Lavitz asked eagerly. Charle hesitated for a second, and Lavitz's expression changed to one of worry.  
"Lavitz, is it in your heart to forgive?" Charle asked seriously.  
"Is it...what? I'm sorry, Charle, but I don't understand." Lavitz folded his arms across his chest. He was really confused and couldn't understand.  
"Well, I did lie to you once before. I've...I've seen one other person come back from the realm of the dead before you. I thought it wise not to tell you about that person."  
"I can trust your wisdom, Charle, you have a lot of it. But who is this person, and why couldn't you tell me about him?"  
"When you see me, you'll understand." A male voice sounded behind him. Lavitz turned around, and immediately, his teeth clenched in anger. Standing there in the doorway, with the sun passing through his silver hair, was a tall Wingly man, who wore loose black clothing, his shirt had no sleeves and silver buttons lined his clothes. The sight of this person made a wound on Lavitz's chest, which had never healed right, even in death, to ache again.  
"LLOYD!" Lavitz shouted, his hand grabbing the mace at his side.  
"His reaction was actually tamer then I thought it would be." Lloyd put his hand at his belt, where a light rapier hung. It wasn't the Dragon Buster, the sword that had killed Lavitz, but it didn't have to be, a sword was only as wicked at it's user."  
"Lavitz, please, calm yourself." Charle said, laying her hand on Lavitz's shoulder. It was almost a sedative, and Lavitz found himself relaxing just a little. Eventually, he clipped the mace back to the makeshift belt he had made from the equipment in the caravan.  
"Good, you're a bit more mature then I thought." Lloyd said sarcastically.  
"Watch your tone with me!" Lavitz warned. "I have reason enough to kill you right here and now."  
"Why didn't you?"  
"Out of respect for Charle." Lavitz returned. It was true, the only reason why Lavitz hadn't brutally beaten Lloyd to a pulp with the mace was because of the lady present.  
"Stop that, you two!" Charle shouted. Both men looked shocked at her, neither of them would have expected her to get angry."  
"Both of you have died once already, and your past grudges should have died then." Charle said factually. Lavitz acknowledged the validity of this point, even if only slightly. Death had mellowed Lavitz to the thought of Lloyd, but only a little. Rose had explained that Lloyd wanted to create a utopian world, which Lavitz could respect like Doel was trying to do, but still, Lloyd had shoved a sword through Lavitz's chest when all Lavitz was doing was trying to protect his king.  
"Hmph." Lloyd responded, then he turned to Lavitz. "Charle is right. In death, I too met the old Dragoons, and gained a high respect for the wills and emotions of humans. I do not hate them; rather, I think that humans would be necessary in the utopia I desire. After all, if I must destroy a race to accomplish my dreams, then I am as reprehensible as Melbu Frahma." Lloyd extended his hand towards Lavitz. "I know your emotions when I killed you, and I understand them. For what it's worth, the very man who promised to help my dream betrayed me, and I died at the hands of Melbu Frahma to protect the world. I had no desire to harm your King Albert, just take the Moon Gem, although I can see where your motives were coming from, the process was painful for him. I...I know that in your eyes, I could never atone for my sins, but I'm not asking for your forgiveness, for something I can't have. I'm asking for a truce of sorts, that we can work together until Charle's nephew has returned. After that, we will never have to see each other again, if that is your wish."  
Lavitz paused. He had to think for a second.  
"I...death has taught me a lot. Death taught me the importance of emotions. We take them for granted, these feelings of duty, love, and friendship. You never notice them until you lose them. But it also taught me something else; that emotions like revenge are fleeting and rather pathetic. I am human, and I cannot change the way I feel at first, but am trying to forgive. I will honor your request, sir, I will work with you, and perhaps, given more time to think and getting to work with you, I can get over my heart's despair." Lavitz grabbed Lloyd's hand, and the silver haired swordsman smiled. As did Charle. Lavitz would have too, but only on the inside. He was still deep in thought.  
"Excellent, now, I have gifts for you. Despite how much I love my nephew, I know that he may be beyond help. In that case, one may need to fight against him." Charle retrieved from her throne a jewel encrusted box. She opened it, and revealed three round spheres.  
"Dragoon spirits?" Lavitz asked.  
"Yes. The first one is the Red-Eye Spirit. Dart lost it to Zeig, and the Divine Dragoon Spirit chose him as it's master instead. The second is the Dark Dragoon Spirit, which my dear Rosie had kept safe for these long years." Lavitz recognized the crimson sphere and the dark purple one, but the one on the far right was new to him. It was a blue-white, like the ground looked when covered with snow and ice.  
"Charle, what is that third spirit?" Lloyd asked.  
"That spirit was once part of the Blue Sea Dragoon Spirit."  
"Is Meru all right?" Lavitz asked.  
"She is fine, but this spirit, after the battle, seemed to...it's difficult to explain, but the best I can think of to explain would be that it...split...from the original spirit. Maybe I can explain it this way." Charle tried a different approach. "A Dragoon spirit is the spirit of a dead dragon, but the Blue Sea Dragon was unique. The Blue Sea Dragon was experimented on by the Winglies while creating Virages, and they tried to fuse two dragons together with magic."  
"Amazing!" Lavitz said.  
"Did it work?" Lloyd asked.  
"I don't think there's a simple answer to that question." Charle responded. "But that Blue Sea Dragon was fused with a beautiful dragon that lived in the northern reaches of the world. It was called the North Star Dragon. After the Blue Sea Dragon died, the spirit came out as one spirit, not two. However, after the fight with Melbu Frahma, the North Star Spirit separated itself from the Blue Sea Spirit. To this day, I can't explain how it happened. Meru brought it to me for answers, but I could give her none. It is still a powerful Dragoon spirit, nonetheless." Charle explained, holding it up to the light.  
"It's beautiful." Lavitz responded.  
"These spirits will accept us as their masters?" Lloyd asked.  
"For Lavitz, it shouldn't be a problem, as he still has Dragoon blood in his veins. After all, when he died, he was a Dragoon, not a human. For you, Lloyd, they may not accept you. So Lloyd, you go first and choose. Find one that speaks to your heart, and see if it chooses you as its master." Charle instructed. Lloyd looked at the spheres, and picked the dark purple one fairly quickly. He held it to his chest, and black light started to glow around him. When it faded, Lloyd was bedecked in dark purple, nearly black, armor, and the wings of the Dark Dragoon spread from his back. He hovered slightly above the ground for a second, and then rubbed the Dark Dragoon Spirit again, turning back into his normal form.  
"That feels rather nice, but I prefer to be able to keep my wings hidden." Lloyd mused aloud.  
"Alright now, Lavitz, please, you select one." Charle held to box up to Lavitz, and he knew which one he wanted. He picked up the Red-Eye spirit, a physical reminder of the spiky haired swordsman who Lavitz met so long ago in Hellena Prison. He held it to his chest like Lloyd did, and felt a strong power wash over him. At first, Lavitz thought the process wouldn't work; after all, he was the Jade Dragoon once. However, Dart had switched Dragoon Spirits from Red-Eye to Divine, plus the Dragoon Spirits had switched masters, from Doel to Haschel, from Greham to Lavitz, and Lavitz to Albert. And Charle had endorsed Lavitz taking the spirit knowing this fact, so Lavitz thought it would be all right. He felt a rush of power, similar to how he felt when he used the Jade Dragoon Spirit, but not the exact same, as the Red-Eye Spirit glowed red and hot. After a second, the feeling passed, and Lavitz saw in one of Charle's mirrors that he had regained the power of the Dragoon. A red bandana was tied around Lavitz's forehead, and red armor was plated all around Lavitz's chest, arms, and legs. Wings erupted from his back. Lavitz then de-transformed, but by the expression on his face, he was glad to have this ability again.  
"You two should not go around as yourselves." Charle responded. "Only transform when you need to, but wear a disguise when you don't."  
"A disguise?" Lavitz asked.  
"We're supposed to be dead." Lloyd returned.  
"I nearly forgot." Lavitz responded sarcastically. Charle then led Lavitz to a room and gave him a large, robe like garment. Lavitz slipped it on, and found that, despite the fact that it looked bulky, it was actually loose, quite suitable for fighting. It included an obscuring hood, so that Lavitz could walk around incognito.  
"Give anyone you meet a fake name." Charle told Lavitz. He nodded as he fidgeted with his clothes a little. They weren't a perfect fit, but they were the best fitting thing of the bunch. Not many Winglies were a bit stocky like Lavitz. But it was no matter, Lavitz had a duty to perform.  
  
The next day, after a hearty meal and a farewell from Charle, Lavitz and Lloyd, now wearing Wingly robes and hoods, were completely disguised.  
"Where to?" Lavitz asked.  
"Charle told me that we should first check the human cities. Find information. There would probably be conflict being started among nations if someone wanted to destroy the world. To create chaos is the first step to destroying the world, it prevents the people from mobilizing and attacking when you need to make your moves."  
Lavitz nodded, and looked outwards across the Death Frontier. How would they cross it?  
"Not that way! There is a powerful teleporting device over there. We will go to Deningrad first." Lloyd explained.  
"All right." Lavitz returned as he walked to the device. He'd never been to Mille Seseau, but now was as good as time as any. Clenching hands with the man who was once his greatest foe, Lavitz walked into the teleporter, ready to find Charle's lost nephew. 


	3. Deningrad: Working with a Sacred Sister

The city of Deningrad didn't look much like the story of the Dragon Campaign had depicted it, but that could be easily explained in the fact that the city wasn't being attacked. The massive Crystal Palace was being constructed on; for earlier, it had been nearly destroyed when the Divine Dragon attacked.  
  
Lavitz's Dragoon Spirit stirred a little, and he recognized why almost immediately. Standing there in the crowd, barking out orders to the reconstruction crew, were the Sacred Sisters of Mille Seseau. Or rather, Sister Miranda, the blonde archer woman, was the one barking out all the orders, while the other women were a bit more lenient. Lavitz didn't remember the names of the other girls, but if he recalled, one of them was blind. Sister Miranda was the White Silver Dragoon, and the Red-Eye Spirit, hidden within the folds of Lavitz's robe, stirred at the familiar sense.  
"You're staring." Lloyd said. True, Lavitz could take his eyes off of Sister Miranda. Her bossy attitude and strict demeanor appeared to be a cover-up, like she was still a little girl, afraid of someone coming close to her. Lavitz had worked with female troops in the Serdian Army before, and around them, he had been a bit bossy too, barking out orders like a slave driver, only relaxing when the women units had been dismissed.  
"You should talk, Lloyd, you're staring as well." Lavitz returned, not taking his eyes off of the work in the palace. Although Lavitz had watched Lloyd out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that the Wingly, his eyes barely visible with his hood, was watching the Third Sacred Sister, Pink or Wink, or something like that.  
"Why are you staring?" Lavitz asked.  
"That's none of your business. That reminds me, we're here on business. Let's find some information." Lloyd said abruptly.  
"Yeah" Lavitz thought silently and went into the down. "We do." Almost reluctantly, the hooded men pulled themselves away from the crowd.  
  
They didn't have any money, but that was easy enough to scrounge. Although the knowledge wasn't public, Lloyd knew that Deningrad employed mercenaries for protection. He said that he would take care of getting money for lodgings tonight while Lavitz scouted around the city.  
"Act like a Wingly, you're wearing Wingly clothes. Be as much of a bigoted asshole as you can. Try to find out if there are any wars, border conflicts, or anything like that going on." Lloyd said before disappearing.  
"That's easier said then done." Lavitz said to himself. He was always raised to be polite and respectful, it was only when his nervousness kicked in that he got to be a hard-ass. But for Charle, and to rescue her nephew, Lavitz would be an asshole.  
  
Lavitz knew that if someone wanted to be hidden, they usually acted submissive and shy to blend in with a crowd, but Lavitz strutted down the street, his hood still over his head. He brushed into people, didn't hold open doors, and growled and snorted at their replies. He doubted anyone would've recognized him; Mille Seseau and Serdio were not extremely close to each other, but he didn't want to take the risk.  
Lloyd had mentioned that there was an "information" salesman who worked in Deningrad, a sly looking fellow who was a bit on the diminutive side. This salesman had a tendency to appear and disappear, as to avoid the Sacred Sisters and the law of the city, but he would appear if there was business involved.  
"A lone man wearing a hood?" Lavitz heard a voice behind him. He grunted in reply.  
"Oh, a rude one? Well, don't you know who I am, I believe you were looking for me." Lavitz turned around and saw one of the shortest man he'd ever seen. He wasn't a Minitos, but he may as well have been.  
"What do you want, short stack?" Lavitz snapped.  
"Looking for the right buyer for some information. You seem to be that man."  
"Well, you've gotten the wrong start already, little man." Lavitz took a cold condescending tone. "I'm no man."  
"You're no woman." The voice returned.  
"I'm no human, stupid boy! I'm a Wingly!" Lavitz said, mustering as much pride as he could force into that sentence.  
"Are you aware of what happened a month ago."  
"Quite, but I don't accept it. Winglies are the superior race and that is the be all and end all. Now, shrimp, do you have information for me, or shall my mace introduce us further?"  
"Touchy. Well, you seem to be looking for war information."  
"That would be pertinent."  
"What will be your method of payment?"  
"Your life. Maybe, if the information is good, you'll receive some trinket or other for your efforts." Lavitz snapped. Acting like a villain wasn't fun, but he supposed there was no other way.  
"Well, I...suppose...the offer is right."  
"Smart move."  
"Well, there seems to be a stirring. Seems some rebels within Serdio have allied with a few expatriates from Tiberoa and plan on reviving the Sandorian Empire."  
"Plan? Or have they made a move?" Lavitz asked.  
"They've moved, but there is little going on. They've managed to stockpile enough soldiers and weapons and garrisoned off a section of land that reaches from Fletz to Lohan to the city of Hoax. They haven't extended southward towards Seles, but they plan on it."  
"Give me numbers and battle tactics. How did they conquer Lohan?"  
"Lohan's the city of trade. Control the money and you control it."  
"I know that, how did they annex the land?"  
"It's close to the capital of Kazas, they just used what military they could and opted for an all-out offensive strike before Serdio or Tiberoa could react."  
"Forces?"  
"Unlike last time, things look to be in Basil's favor. Sandoria used a dragon for their offensive, with Basil couldn't fight, in the previous war, however this time, there is no dragon."  
'If I recall, Sandoria's dragon was defeated by a soldier from Basil, two mercenaries, and a young girl." Lavitz responded. Dart and Rose weren't mercenaries, but there was no other way to really describe them.  
"Yes, but what was so special about those people? They were all demons, they used ancient magic to gain power."  
"What gibberish!" Lavitz said coldly. "They borrowed the power of the ancient dragon spirits. There's nothing demonic about it."  
"But still, Basil has the power of these spirits. The war shouldn't last long."  
"If the scales were indeed that unbalanced, then this revival of the Sandorian Empire would've never happened. What gives Sandoria an edge or at least reason for Basil to give pause?"  
"Well, sir, and I'll only tell you this because I like your face..."  
"You pathetic attempt at flattery insults me." Lavitz folded his arms across his chest.  
"Well, and this is only a rumor, but I hear the Sandoria has ancient powers of it's own."  
"Emperor Doel borrowed the power of a dragon, but after he was killed it fell into the hands of Basil. Do you mean to say there is something else?"  
"Yes. I heard that they borrow power from dragon spirits as well. I don't know if they have any or how many, believe me." Lavitz grunted. He had only a little money from raiding that trade caravan, and he tossed some of it to the little weasel of a man.  
"People like you make me sick." Lavitz said before returning to the inn.  
  
Inside, Lavitz removed the hood of his robe and waited on Lloyd. But this information he received was troubling him. He wasn't aware of any other dragons within Serdio, only Greham and Doel had Dragoon spirits, and both of them were dead; their dragoon spirits in the hands of King Albert and Master Haschel. But then again, Charle had shown Lavitz a spirit he'd never seen before, perhaps there were more.  
Lloyd returned, and removed the hood of his robe.  
"It took some doing, but I have enough finances to meet our needs."  
"And I have information too. It seems that someone has gone and revived the Sandorian Empire. That someone has at least one Dragoon Spirit, apparently."  
"Which?" Lloyd asked, interested.  
"I didn't find out, but it's not one of the ones you or I are used to seeing." Lavitz returned. "Do you know of any other dragons?"  
"Well, I did hear from some older Winglies about a dragon called the Gravity Flux Dragon, something like that. Perhaps they have it." Lloyd responded.  
"So, what can you tell me about Sister Pink." Lavitz prodded.  
"Wink!" Lloyd shouted.  
"I didn't think your relationship was that serious. Maybe I should've introduced you too to each other again. She won't know me..."  
Lloyd interrupted "Are you stupid? Sister Wink...she...she...it's nothing!" Lloyd stuttered.  
"Oh yeah." Lavitz thought to himself, grinning on the inside "You've got it bad for Sister Wink."  
"Well, what about Sister Miranda!" Lloyd returned, trying desperately to get the attention off of his lovelife.  
"What about Sister Miranda?" Lavitz said, trying to remain calm. "She just reminds me of me when I was that age. I'm 34, she's 26, or so Dart told me."  
"And your overt staring was what?" Lloyd said. Damn, Lavitz thought, he trapped me in a corner.  
"Nothing much, just...reminds me of me at that age, just like I said!"  
"Ha ha...you're blushing right now." Lloyd returned. Lavitz felt his face on fire, true.  
"Well, let's make a deal. After we save Charle's nephew, we come back here and meet the Sacred Sisters. After that, we do whatever our hearts tell us to do." Lavitz said with a giant grin. He loved playing matchmaker, and he would set up anyone, even Lloyd, with the right woman.  
  
The next day, the realization of the information from last night hit the two of them. Mille Seseau and Serdio weren't connected; they would need to take a ship.  
"There is a city nearby that runs boats to Tiberoa." Lloyd explained. "We'll take one of them." The two men left the town bright and early, and started to make their way southeast. It wasn't long before they realized that they were tailing a convoy, also headed for the coast.  
"Lavitz, you know how humans work. What is that convoy?" Lloyd asked.  
  
"It appears to be a war convoy." Lavitz explained. "Judging by the lack of wagons for transporting goods, these appear to be transporting people. I don't think Mille Seseau has a penal colony, so they must be sending soldiers. Also, the Sacred Sisters are here." The soldier threw in at the end.  
"What?" Lloyd said. Both men were wearing their hoods, but Lavitz could almost feel Lloyd getting nervous.  
"Well, Sister Miranda is the Maiden at Arms, I think that was her title. And the other sisters are probably coming for moral support, I don't know if they are fighters or not."  
"Will we be going on the same boat as them?" Lloyd asked, perhaps too nervously.  
"I would assume so. Queen Theresa probably charters the boats, and no other ones would run for quite some time. That's a common tactic for war, as you know who's going on the boats; it helps cut down on deserters leaving the country."  
"But where could these soldiers be going? Surely not Sandoria, it's Basil's problem, not Mille Seseau's."  
"With Sister Miranda as a Dragoon, she's probably going at the bequest of King Albert. Or Basil might not be able to handle the problem by themselves, and so, sought allies from Tiberoa and Mille Seseau both." Lavitz said. "Until we see the situation for ourselves, I won't be able to judge."  
"Will we be able to get on the boats?"  
"I don't know." Lavitz shrugged. He didn't really, but the two decided to follow the group anyway, they might have a chance to ask the Sacred Sisters for passage.  
  
The Sacred Sisters led their troops into a forest. Lloyd explained the topography of these woods: Furni, the Water City, which serviced the coast, was on the other side.  
"Tell me, was this forest always so dark and sinister looking?" Lavitz asked. The day was sunny, but no one could guess that when the entered the dark forest. Warped trees twisted up as if in pain towards the sky, blocking the sun, and overgrown roots twisted and snaked over the paths.  
"What the hell is going on?" Lavitz wondered.  
"Excuse me, sirs." Came a female voice. "I couldn't help but notice you've been following us." The woman's voice came from the crowd of soldiers. People moved and parted out of the way to reveal all four Sacred Sisters in the forefront, with a stern look from Sister Miranda. She was doing all the talking, and she was easily the scariest of the bunch.  
"We are going to Furni. Our business is our own." Lavitz responded. Lloyd had been in Mille Seseau before, and Sister Wink would recognize his voice. Lavitz, on the other hand, could not be easily traced to the spirit that Miranda saw briefly in Mayfil.  
"Who are you?" Miranda demanded.  
"We're mercenaries." Lavitz replied simply.  
"Who were you hired by?" Miranda snapped, her hand on her longbow.  
"That's our own business."  
"Are you Winglies?" Miranda asked.  
"Aye. What of it?"  
"Let me see your face."  
"I only show my face to those who pay my price." Lavitz responded. Miranda scowled angrily.  
"Why are you following us?"  
"Because predators in the wild would not so easily attack a large group. By following you, we're protected." Miranda looked like she was going to continue interrogating, but Lavitz interrupted.  
"I've answered many of your questions, now answer one of mine. Why is this forest this way?"  
"This forest is warped by nightmarish abominations called the dark treants. They are fearsome, dangerous creatures."  
"You're not going to hunt them? Aren't you a Dragoon, Sister Miranda?" Lavitz taunted. He needed to act like an asshole, but he regretted doing it to the Sister Miranda.  
"I am, but a dark treant is not an easy opponent. It's foolish to tackle one alone, dragoon power or not, as they strike in groups."  
"I will make you a deal, Sister Miranda. I will help you clear this forest of the creatures, and in return, we will be allowed passage to Tiberoa. I'm aware that you could block our passage and claim a marital statute on transportation." Lavitz struck a deal.  
"How strong could you be? Even the Winglies that live in this forest are afraid of them." Mirnada asked. Lavitz reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out his Dragoon spirit. At his command, the spirit glowed a bright red.  
"Where did you get that!" Miranda demanded.  
"It was a gift from a wonderful woman named Charle Frahma." Lavitz said truthfully.  
"Then...who are you? Really, no tricks."  
"I don't introduce myself to strangers mindlessly."  
"I am Sister Miranda, and these are the Sacred Sisters of Mille Seseau. We are going to Serdio to quell a rebellion."  
"I heard that information in Deningrad." Lavitz responded.  
"Is your friend mute?" Miranda asked.  
"He is less tolerant of humans then I am. He only speaks to Winglies." Lavitz thought quickly. He turned back quickly, and Lloyd nodded his approval. Now Lloyd had an excuse not to talk at all.  
"Tell me." Lavitz asked. "Does this new Sandoria have Dragoon spirits?"  
"That information cannot be give lightly." Miranda responded. Lavitz was about to retort, when a loud sound interrupted them. It sounded like someone was dragging felled trees around.  
"Treants!" A soldier called.  
"Sister Wink!" Miranda called. "Lead the soldiers outside." Wink nodded and starting barking out orders to the soldiers to mobilize quickly. Once they left, Miranda turned to Lavitz.  
"You better be as good as you say." Miranda said.  
"Of course I am." Lavitz responded. He and Miranda placed a hand to their Dragoon spirits, waiting for the enemy to appear before transforming. Lloyd stepped forward too, ready to transform as well. He wasn't too worried about Sister Miranda seeing him, as he could swear one person to secrecy. He just hoped Sister Wink wasn't watching.  
  
From out of the forest came a bunch tree like creatures. They were taller then humans, about nine feet in height. Massive wooden limbs twisted and snapped, creating the awful sound of wood cracking and breaking. Gaping black holes were on the trunk, three of them, shaped like eyes and a mouth.  
"That thing is gross." Lavitz thought to himself. Miranda rubbed her Dragoon spirit, and was engulfed in a bright white light. Feathers erupted from her body, and a few seconds later, she was bedecked in full armor as the White Silver Dragoon.  
Lavitz followed. His dragoon spirit glowed and he felt the heat of the fire dragon washed over him. What looked like lava formed all around his body, and soon, it hardened and changed color into the Red-Eye Dragoon armor. He no longer was wearing his hood, and his blonde hair, which had grown a little, was tied back with the red bandana.  
Lloyd went third. The Dragoon spirit glowed briefly, and surrounded Lloyd's body in a dark sphere. When the sphere faded, Lloyd was draped in the dark purple armor of the Dark Dragoon. His silver hair sharply constrated the darkness of the armor, and it almost made him look like he did in the Tower of Flanvel when Queen Theresa "gave" him the Moon Mirror.  
Miranda stared at the two for a second, as if trying to remember someone from her past. Lavitz held his breath and said nothing, but thankfully, the twisting sounds of the dark treants jarred the three Dragoon's attention.  
  
Lavitz raised his mace and gripped it tightly. Fire erupted from the end of it and streamed downward, as if lengthening the weapon. Miranda raised her bow and drew back a shot, the arrow flying with amazing speed towards the dark treants. Its wooden skin would've blocked a normal arrow, but the speed and power of Miranda's shot ripped right through the things wooden skin. Lavitz took advantage of this and flew forward on his wings, smashing into the creature with his mace. Being made of wood, it combusted, dying in agony.  
"Careful!" Lloyd shouted, noting the trees themselves were twisting their limbs as if to grab the Dragoons. Lavitz and Miranda took to the air to avoid the swipes, while Lloyd started flying towards the trees, channeling dark energy into his weapon and thrusting through limb after limb, which dropped like twigs to the ground. More and more trees wrapped and warped around, trying to strike at the three Dragoons. But they were simple trees, and couldn't match the armor and speed of a Dragoon. Eventually, after what felt like hours of smashing, the woods almost seemed to scream themselves as the ground shaked. The body of treants, which looked too much like uprooted trees, lay on the ground, whatever parts of them hadn't combusted or blown apart.  
"So, you aren't a Wingly at all." Sister Miranda stated. She had not de-transformed from her White Silver Dragoon state. She didn't load her bow, but she still looked just about ready too.  
"No. I was told to keep my identity a secret." Lavitz had quickly turned back into a human so he could have the concealing hood, as did Lloyd.  
"And you..." Miranda turned to Lloyd. "You're Lloyd, the Wingly swordsman who abducted Queen Theresa. But you had died, I saw and felt you dead with my own hands."  
"It's difficult to explain, but yes, that statement is correct; I had died."  
"Then, who are you?" Miranda turned back to Lavitz.  
"I am a human who was commissioned by Charle Frahma, a very wise woman, to rescue someone dear to her before he does something drastic. Melbu Frahma doesn't seem to be deterred by death, it seems."  
"How did you gain those Dragoon Spirits?" Miranda asked, finally turning back into her normal self.  
"They were a gift, from Charle Frahma. Although she wishes fervently for peace, she is wise enough to know that peace may not be an option."  
"I was sure I'd seen you before. Have you ever been involved, even slightly, with the Second Dragoon Campaign?" Miranda asked.  
"No, ma'am." Lavitz said respectfully. That statement was blatantly false, but it may have well been true; Lavitz stayed in Serdio, and died there.  
"Well, you helped me, nonetheless, so I'm obligated to assist you. Why are you going to Serdio?"  
"We're looking for a Wingly male." Lavitz said.  
"Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about the Winglies being involved; there are relatively few of them in Serdio."  
"Sister Miranda..."  
"Sir Lloyd!" Miranda turned to the Wingly swordsman. "Sister Wink would be grateful to hear of your...return." Lloyd looked about to protest, but Lavitz elbowed him.  
"I'm sure she will." Lavitz said. Two against one. Lloyd was probably ready to kill them both, but he did want to meet Sister Wink again, so he kept quiet.  
"Tell me, what is your name?" Miranda asked.  
"Mine? It's...Greham." Lavitz thought quickly. It may have been linked to him a little, but it was the only thing Lavitz could think of so quickly.  
"Alright, Greham. Let's move on. We should move separately from our troops." Miranda said.  
"Separately?" Lavitz asked.  
"They will be expecting us to send many troops. We three can meet with the other Dragoons and sneak in. They will...be sure to have questions for you, Lloyd." Miranda turned to the silver haired swordsman. He had no need for stealth anymore, and so removed his hood.  
"Greham, I think we should get moving. Sister Wink can handle the troops, can't she?" Lloyd asked. Miranda nodded. The woods seemed to twist back into their normal shape as the three Dragoons walked through, the trees bent backward as if clearing the paths for their champion.  
  
When they exited, Miranda tossed her hair a little and let the breeze toss it into wild curls. Lavitz, since there was no one around, removed his hood as well. He was surprisingly pleased to be working with the Sacred Sister, and even if Charle had asked him to work alone in finding her nephew; that didn't mean he couldn't see the other Dragoons again. 


	4. Ilisa Bay: Forgiveness

Lavitz had never really been on the ocean before. The ship ride from Furni to Donau wasn't long at all, but he barely felt it. He loved the feel of the ocean, the salt air blowing through his hair, the smell of the sea.  
Commodore Poler was the captain of this ship, and he also had a love for the sea, although he was quite more vocal about it then the knight. He often spoke of being married to the "large and wet mistress".  
"Please tell me I'm not that insane." Lavitz thought to himself. Just because he liked the sea didn't mean he was married to it.  
  
The group had picked up another passenger at Furni, the cheerful, obnoxious Meru. Lavitz only removed his hood now when he was alone; because he wasn't sure if Meru could keep a secret. So he walked around on deck, with the sleeves of his robe rolled up completely. His arms were tanned, but not his face, and he thought it made him look a little awkward, but he'd rather that then the constant sweating.  
  
Once, Meru came up to him. She wore pretty much the same thing as she did in the Second Dragoon Campaign; the bow tied around her back covered the most skin on her body.  
"How'ya doin'?" She asked with all of her spunkiness.  
"I'm fine." Lavitz responded. He had given up being a dick, but he wasn't going to be extremely nice. He had to strike out on his own after he found Horven Frahma, so he'd rather make it less painful for all parties.  
"'Randa tells me that you know Lloyd?"  
"If you want to know about Lloyd, he is the best person to talk to." Lavitz returned.  
"Why don't'cha take off that hood? You got nasty scars or somethin'? It gets really hot here!" Meru asked.  
"Something like that."  
"What's yer name?"  
"Greham."  
"Greham...I thought I heard my pally Kingy Albert mention that name once. You know a guy named Albert?"  
"No." Lavitz responded bluntly.  
"Whata 'bout a guy named Lavitz?" That sentence gave Lavitz pause for a second. Meru knew about him? He was right then, not to walk around without his hood on.  
"No, I've never known anyone with that name. Why?"  
"Oh, Kingy Albert talked about him all the time. He said Lavitz was a brave and cool man who could fight, and fight really good. He taught Kingy Albert to fight with spears. Of course, no one fights like me, but he was great!"  
"I see. I fight with maces though." Lavitz responded. It was a good thing he kept that mace. If Lavitz was going to work with the Dragoons, he needed to be as discreet as ever. He didn't think King Albert talked that much about him.  
"But anyway...Lavitz...he died, he died fighting Lloyd, that guy your traveling with."  
"I've heard the story." Lavitz responded. His chest started aching again; an old sword wound that never healed started acting up and throbbing.  
"But we saw him a little in Mayfil, the Death City. He helped us go to the Moon."  
"I take it then that you were a Dragoon?" Lavitz asked.  
"Oh yeah! That's why I'm goin' with all ya to Serdio. 'Randa and I are gonna meet with the other Dragoons and take out these rebels. Your gonna help too, right! That's why you came here!"  
"My business is my own, young Meru." Lavitz responded. "I'm searching for someone. I just happen to believe that that person is in Serdio."  
"Who?" Meru asked.  
"Damn..." Lavitz thought. "She'll pester me until I tell her." He spoke up "His name is Horven."  
"Hey, that's a Wingly name."  
"Yes. I'm searching for a Wingly. The Dragoon spirit I possess would help me combat him should the need arise, although I'm trying to avoid violence."  
"We'll help! Whenever Winglies move in secret, there's bound to be something bad. Winglies like pomp and ceremony."  
"Lloyd sure as hell does." Lavitz thought. But then he remembered, he couldn't have the other's help; he needed to do this on his own.  
"I can handle myself. Having others will just get in the way." Lavitz responded.  
"That's not true! You can do so much with other people."  
"Not my style." Lavitz responded. "I've..." He had to spin a lie; he knew Meru was trying to be cheerful and polite, but he really wanted to force her away, just so she wouldn't insist on helping him. He couldn't tell the truth; he was sure they wouldn't believe it.  
"I've lived alone like this my entire life. I've gained enough strength to work myself and that's the way I know how to fight. You've got no right to speak against it!"  
"Greham..." Meru said sadly. "I knew someone like that. She never accepted help from anyone, and as she lay dying, she wouldn't allow my friend Shana to heal her wounds." Meru was speaking now without her spunk, and it made her seem...softer...mature.... truly like Damia.  
"Meru..." Lavitz started.  
"Greham, I understand these things, although some people think I don't. This girl...she...she loved someone so fiercely she risked her life for him, and that man was our enemy, so she styled herself as our enemy. I wanted to help her but she wouldn't let me."  
"Meru, some people are just better off alone." Lavitz said. "Maybe she made the wrong choice, but I'm not. My youth was nothing but sacrifice, and my adult years even more of that. I...I don't like being used by people, just because it's convenient for them."  
"You're a little like someone I know. You're like Sister Miranda. She had it rough her entire life and she grew hateful. But..."  
"Enough about my past!" Lavitz interrupted. "I'm getting tired of talking about it. I'm going for a drink. I'll see you some other time, Meru." And Lavitz turned around; he couldn't help but feel a little bad. She was just trying to be his friend, and he forced her away.  
"Well, maybe when everything is over, if I don't go back to Mayfil, I'll ask for your forgiveness." That made Lavitz think some more. What would happen when this was done? He had left for the world of the living because the world was in trouble, and when it was back to normal, but Lavitz live out the rest of his days as a normal person, or would he return to death as a specter.  
  
He didn't know, and it bothered him immensely.  
  
Lloyd apparently did not have good sea legs. He was lying in his cabon for most of the voyage, and whenever the ship ran across a swell, it made Lloyd turn completely pale and look like he was going to vomit.  
"Do Winglies not fare well on the ocean?" Lavitz joked. Lloyd shot him a nasty glance, but the ship was still rocking and it made the silver haired swordsman pretty much powerless.  
"I can't help it. Ships rock too damn much."  
"We'll it won't be long. We'll arrive in Donau tomorrow."  
"Lavitz, I heard you talking to Meru." Lloyd sat up, and despite the dizzy look he had, he stared at Lavitz intently.  
"You shouldn't treat them like this. Don't you consider them friends?"  
"I do, but...it will be easier later on."  
"You humans...you never think things through completely. Meru is a young girl, younger then both of us. Young girls hold grudges."  
"But..." Lavitz started.  
"She was talking about Lenus, wasn't she? Oh, you might not know about her."  
"Rose told me about her a little. She was the Blue Sea Dragoon before Meru. Were you the man she loved?"  
"Yes, although it sounds awkward to think about it. I did like having her around, but she was...crude, brash, had the table manners of a pig, and..."  
"She was a beautiful and confident woman?"  
"All that and more." Lloyd responded. "It's difficult for humans to judge Wingly beauty, as Winglies tend to look alike to the untrained eye what with the same hair color. But she was beautiful. She had the body, and the magic..."  
"And...she died."  
"She threw her life in front of Dart to buy me the time I needed to get to Mille Seseau. She did it without regard to her own life, and I'm a little jealous and angry. I didn't really want her to do that, and I could barely understand why she did that. When Wink saved me again in the Tower of Flanvel, I started to wonder what it was that made women fawn all over me. So, I'm...coming to you, Lavitz."  
"Me?" Lavitz wondered.  
"Out of all of us, you are the oldest. Surely you must know something about women. I.... don't think I could ask this question to a woman."  
"I..." Lavitz blushed under his robe. "Don't ask me this, I can't give an answer."  
"Answer anyway, even if you think it's wrong; it'll help more then you think. Why would Lenus and Wink sacrifice themselves for me?"  
Lavitz paused, and sat down to think.  
"Don't answer right away." Lloyd said without a tone of sarcasm; he was quite serious. "Take some time and think, and when you have the answer, I'll listen. In the meantime, I'll give you some advice. Dart, Albert, and all of them were my steadfast enemies for a time. I believed with all my being that they were in the way of my utopia. However, even after killing you, engineering the princess's kidnapping, abducting Queen Theresa, and all of that, Dart would not kill me. I think he had mentioned one time or other that my death would solve nothing, it would neither resurrect you, nor anyone else who died. And I grew to be envious of them, for their forgiveness."  
"What does forgiveness have to do with me?" I asked. "They've done nothing wrong, they had to do what they did: they needed that Jade Dragon, they needed my strength to get to the Moon, which took almost all of my power, and that caused me to fade away."  
"That's not what I meant." Lloyd said quietly. "It has nothing to do with forgiving them. Why haven't you forgiven yourself for dying?"  
  
After Lavitz left Lloyd, he immediately wondered what he meant.  
"Forgive...myself?" Lavitz wondered. That statement didn't make much sense; Lavitz hadn't blamed himself for anything.  
"I...I made my choice." Lavitz tried to rationalize. "It is not soldierly to question what happens on the battlefield, nor did I make the wrong choice. Long ago, I promised King Albert that I would fight to the death for him, and that promise did not expire on that day. But I...I know I made the right choice but..." Lavitz wondered why he was feeling this way. What he did was not wrong, but it didn't feel right.  
"Should...I...have even been there?" Lavitz wondered. He got angry with himself for that thought. Of course he should have been there!  
"But...I regretted dying. Is that what Lloyd meant?" Lavitz thought to himself. "That...that I should not be upset that I died that day. Well, I'm not upset with anyone there; I've even forgiven Lloyd, for Soa's sake, that's a shit load of forgiveness. But...should I...maybe...I just won't think about death anymore." Lavitz affirmed. "From now on, I'll just think about life and the duty I promised for Charle." That thought made Lavitz feel light, lighter then air. No longer would he worry about what could have happened if he was alive, and nor would he dwell on the dead.  
  
The dead belonged in Mayfil, and Lavitz was no longer walking its gloomy halls as a disembodied specter. And the past was exactly there, the past. It could not be changed.  
"I'll let historians worry about the past." Lavitz resolved. "I should just worry about the present, like Meru does. And maybe that'll make me a hell of a lot happier." It sounded good, but Lavitz was having a hard time believing it. It was hard not to think of something so important as his death.  
  
But with a little practice, Lavitz found himself smiling, and eventually, he found his way back to Meru.  
"Meru?"  
"Greham, what'cha want?" Meru asked with her spunkiness. Lavitz would've thought she would been upset with him, but her she was, cheerful as always.  
"I'm...sorry. I was far too blunt with you. I shouldn't have told you such terrible things about my past."  
"It's okay, I like hearin' stories. Just...you don't gotta bear everythin' by yourself. We're all Dragoons, and we may notta known each other for very long, but no one should hafta bear the burden of their past by themselves. Keep it yourself if ya want to, but it'll hurt until ya tell someone. I know..." Meru looked down at the deck of the ship, and Lavitz could swear a tear was forming in her scarlet eyes.  
"I never told anyone these things, but sometimes I feel guilty. A girl mimicked what I did, a Wingly who went to live among humans, and she died. I always felt responsible, but I know it wasn't my fault." Meru was again talking without her attitude, and again, the soft, mature side of her came out. Meru would make a man very happy one day; she could keep him smiling and listen both, and she was strong too, she could keep him in line.  
"Meru...I...I don't think I've been entirely honest with you. My past has not been as bad as I've made it out to be, but the truth is...I know the Dragoons. Some of them, at least."  
"Ya do!" Meru's perky tone immediately returned.  
"Shhh!" Lavitz insisted. "Yes. I know Dart, King Albert, and Master Haschel a little."  
"When'd ya meet them?"  
"Serdio."  
"Dart still musta had his Dragoon Spirit then, the one ya got right now. So, was he one of your mates?"  
"You...you could say that."  
"Don't be so ambiggyous, what do ya mean?"  
"The word is ambiguous, Meru." Lavitz corrected. "Yes, Dart and I were friends, but I didn't know him for too long. King Albert was the one I knew."  
"Kingy Albert! The big ol' windbag!" Lavitz turned a shade of crimson under his hood, but Meru cracked up in spasms of hysterical laughter.  
"C'mon, Greham, I'm just teasin!" Meru cracked up. Lavitz found himself mellowing a little.  
"You needta get a sense of humor, Greham!" Meru said. "You gotta laugh more often!"  
"I trust that you can laugh and be cheerful enough for the both of us."  
"That's not good enough! C'mon, you're way too dark and gloomy. Laugh a little!" Meru insisted. Lavitz, to get her to stop being so intense, chuckled.  
"That was weak! You gotta really laugh! Laugh so that everyone who sees ya just looks at you like you've grown three heads."  
"Meru...you are perhaps the most intense woman, or person for that matter, that I have ever met." Lavitz couldn't help laughing a little; not as much as Meru wanted him too, but he was laughing.  
"That's me, and don'tcha forget it! You're a lot like this old woman I usedta know, Rosie, the Dark Dragoon."  
"Charle Frahma told me about her."  
"Oh, then I don't needta explain. It took her a while, but I think she finally trusted us. Just watch out around 'Randa. She'll slap you and it'll be like a big explosion." That made Lavitz laugh even more. Miranda could be intense, and Lavitz could imagine her slapping Rose and then Rose just exploding as the result. The Dark Dragoon mistress was certainly that volatile.  
"You're something else, Meru. I do enjoy your company."  
"We should help you fine the Wingly." That made Lavitz pause.  
"I...this is something that I must do by myself. I'm sorry." Lavitz responded.  
"Then...then can you at least show me your face?" Meru asked.  
  
Lavitz turned around and faced her, his soft green eyes looking right intoher crimson ones.  
"One day." Was all he said. 


	5. Tiberoa: Green Eyes

Lavitz knew that the group wasn't going to stay in Donau for long, but he promised himself that he'd come back and see it again. The city was bathed in flowers, and the clashing of colors would normally appear garish, but here, the sudden shifts of color and pattern only made this city appear infinitely appealing.  
"I'm usually used to the drab formal settings of the military." Lavitz said aloud.  
"I love this place! This is where I first met Dart. I first thought they were my groupies!" Meru shouted, grabbing a flower from a nearby tree and smelling it.  
"What is a groupie?" Lavitz asked. As soon as he asked that, he felt the stares of everyone present boring on him. Thank Soa he was still wearing his hood!  
"A groupie is...er..." Miranda paused, unsure of how to word it.  
"A groupie is someone who...enjoys being around someone famous." Lloyd finished expertly.  
"Well put, Sir Lloyd." Miranda said respectfully. "We can't stay in the city long. Lloyd and Meru can go talk with the Mayor and get all the information we need about this new Sandoria; Mille Seseau is so far away that our information may be too dated. I'll go purchase supplies, and Greham, you just take it easy. This is your first time in Tiberoa, isn't it?" Miranda gave out orders as if she was giving them all her life, which she probably was.  
"It is." Lavitz responded. The war in Serdio had taken all of his attention; Lavitz had never once thought of travel. The furthest he'd been away from home was Lohan, the Commercial City. The four separated, Miranda walking into one of the item shops, and Meru practically dragging Lloyd up a flight of stairs, where the Mayor presumably was.  
  
Lavitz strolled down the streets, but still deemed it wise not to take of his hood. He hated being so secretive, but he didn't want to blow his cover. If King Albert knew who he was, then King Albert would insist that Lavitz not leave again. Not that Lavitz wanted to go away from the King and all of his friends, but he promised Charle that he would do this without the Dragoons.  
The soldier caught a falling sakura petal as it cascaded and danced in the breeze, and tossed it away lightly, almost envious of it's descent. The petal danced, not like Meru, but a graceful, delicate flutter, towards the ground. Lavitz longed to live like that, just a wind's breath away from doing whatever he wanted, living free.  
"Like Meru, but...I'm not Meru, I don't think I could ever have the spirit she has." Lavitz said, almost in a whisper.  
"It's easy to be like me!" A voice shouted from above, startling Lavitz and nearly causing him to trip.  
"Meru!" Lavitz scolded. "Were you spying on me?"  
"C'mon, you've been wanderin' in a daze. I just wanted ta know if y'alright." She shouted cheerfully, jumping from her vantage point and landing right next to him.  
"I'm fine, young lady. I'm stronger then I look."  
"I can't tell how ya look." She reminded Lavitz of his robe and hood.  
  
"There will be a time when I can say everything."  
"Are ya waitin' for Kingy Albert?"  
"I...no, after...after my duty is done and I am not bound by a contract, then I can do things for myself."  
"Does that mean you don't wanna walk all secret like?" Meru asked innocently.  
"Indeed." Lavitz affirmed. "Being secretive is not my style."  
"Then just take off that hood! It ain't hard."  
"Meru...when you know who I am, who I am for real, you'll understand everything...Where's Lloyd?"  
"He's chattin' with the Mayor. Hey, did ya guys talk to Sister Wink?"  
  
"No, we went ahead of the rest of Mille Seseau's army and didn't talk to her. Miranda and I plan to tell her when we meet her again." Lavitz responded.  
"I think 'Randa is done, let's get goin'. I love Donau, be we got stuff ta do, right?"  
"We'll come back." Meru nodded. It seemed like this was her favorite place to be too. She jumped up and grabbed a sakura flower from the tree where Lavitz's petal had fallen, and handed it to him.  
"I'd thread it in your hair, but..." Meru took another stab at Lavitz's hood.  
"Meru...If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll show you my face." Lavitz said. He did want to be known, even a little. Besides, Meru had just heard stories about him; she didn't see him for herself. What could be the harm?  
"Wow, I feel special!" Meru shouted, spinning on her heels in triumph.  
"Meru!"  
"No need ta get angry. I promise, I won't tell anyone."  
"Not Dart, King Albert, Master Haschel, anyone."  
"Not even Kongol?" Meru asked with a smile. Lavitz opened his mouth in protest, but the girl erupted into laughter.  
"I'm a teasin'! I know, I won't tell anyone." Lavitz nodded, and made sure no one was around him, then removed his hood.  
  
Meru stepped back a little, and then brought her hand up to his face and touched his cheek.  
"You...I..." She stuttered, the fast-talking Meru actually stuttered.  
"This is what I look like. You can't be shocked at my features. After all, King Albert is a blonde." Lavitz said, tossing his head a little.  
"That's not why...I...I know I've seen ya someplace before."  
"How? I've never seen you." Lavitz said. An out and out lie, but this would help somehow, hopefully. Lavitz still wasn't sure why he showed Meru his face, probably just to get her to shut up about it, but the last thing he wanted was for the dancer to recognize him.  
"I know I have! My memory is never wrong. C'mon, help me think. Maybe we've seen each other before."  
"Meru, you're unforgettable. It would be impossible for me not to recognize you." Lavitz said. "I'm positive we haven't met."  
"Well, maybe I just saw ya from a crowd." Meru said. "Y'ever been to Fletz?"  
"No, this is my first time in Tiberoa, remember."  
"Oh yeah. Mille Seseau? I've been around there a few times."  
"No, the first time I've ever stayed for a long time in Mille Seseau was when I went to Deningrad."  
"Greham, I know I saw ya someplace!"  
"Meru, are you pestering him?" Miranda's voice sounded. Lavitz immediately put his hood back on as the Sacred Sister came over.  
"Hi 'Randa, got the stuff we need?"  
"Yes."  
"Let's find Lloyd then." Lavitz said. "We should get going. Sandoria won't wait for us."  
  
Lavitz knew that there would be a brief stopover in Fletz, to rest, reconnoiter, and give instruction to the troops from Tiberoa. The city itself was rather nice, but Lavitz didn't stay in it long; he went straight for the castle.  
"We're going to the Chamber of the Sun. There we will meet King Zior and his two daughters, Emille and Lisa."  
"Alright." Lavitz said.  
"Don't forget that Emille's married! Her hubby's gonna be there." Meru shouted.  
"Emille is twenty years old, she's far too young for marriage." Lloyd noted.  
"When love is there, who cares about age!" Meru returned. Lloyd didn't respond, and instead led the way to the Chamber of the Sun. Miranda then pulled Meru to the side and told her something, probably not to blab about Lloyd. Although Lavitz didn't know anything personally, he was willing to bet that Lloyd had angered the people of Tiberoa in his grandiose plans.  
  
"Your Majesty, King Zior." Miranda spoke for the group. All four of them bowed on one knee in respect.  
"Arise, arise, Sister Miranda, there is no need for this. I'm so relieved that the great Dragoons answered my call for help. I wasn't sure our kingdom was that important."  
"Your Majesty, Tiberoa is one of the three kingdoms of this world. Of course it's important." Miranda returned, standing up as due to king's request.  
"And who are these? I recongnize the lovely Meru..."  
"Thanks!" Meru accepted the compliment without blushing, interrupting the king. Strangely, he didn't seem to notice.  
"These are my allies; mercenaries from Mille Seseau." Miranda said. "They are elite warriors, and they serve me." Lavitz was about to protest that he didn't, but he wisely kept his mouth shut, the lie would serve for now.  
"They always wear hoods, it is their way, and I would not question it." Miranda went out on a limb to say that, but King Zior didn't seem to mind.  
"Well, they can look secretive, but as long as they are capable, they can do as they like, correct?" A woman's voice from behind gave way to the elegant Princess Lisa. A young teenaged girl, but she appeared intelligent as well as beautiful. Lavitz had heard rumors about this girl. She had foresight, or so the stories said.  
"Ah, Princess Lisa."  
"I welcome you to our castle. Please, accept our hospitality for the day; it's far too late to travel." Princess Lisa smiled and nodded. Miranda accepted, and a maid was summoned to lead to group to their bedrooms.  
  
"There will be a meal prepared. We'll inform you when it's ready." The maid led Lloyd and Lavitz to a side room.  
"Ah, thank Soa. I can relax a little." Lavitz said, laying down on one of the beds.  
"Soa wants to destroy the planet, you know." Lloyd mentioned.  
"Old habits die hard." The soldier returned.  
"So, you actually didn't speak to Sister Wink?"  
"We will soon enough. What of it?"  
"Lavitz, you...you never answered my question." That gave Lavitz pause, he had never really thought about it. Probably because he never really thought Lloyd the man women would fawn over. Then again, Lavitz rarely thought highly of Lloyd for obvious reasons.  
"Well...maybe women are attracted by your looks? After all, you dress rather sleazy for a man."  
"Nothing wrong with it." Lloyd snapped. "I can expose myself if I wish."  
"That doesn't mean it's not sleazy."  
"I suppose women are attracted to you then?" Lloyd said a little angrily. "Wait a minute, you're changing the subject!"  
"Cool down, kid."  
"Don't call me that!"  
"Then relax. Hmmm...you saved Sister Wink before. Maybe she wanted to return the favor by saving you?"  
Lloyd sat in thought. "Perhaps. That doesn't explain Lenus though."  
"I haven't met her; I can't honestly say just from what I've heard."  
"I see. I guess that makes sense. Sister Miranda would know more about Sister Wink, but Sister Miranda is a woman. It's hard to talk to women about these things, women don't understand anything."  
"I know." Lavitz returned. He too had never been good with women. Then again, he never really tried to make himself available. Romance was never on his mind.  
"We've been sitting too long." Lloyd responded. "It should be about time for dinner."  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
The food was excellently prepared, and never before had Lavitz eaten so much. His mother's food was still the best, but she never seemed to make enough.  
"May I present my daughter, Princess Emille, and her husband." King Zior stood up and raised his glass towards the door, where the sound of footsteps was coming. Everyone followed suit as the footsteps became louder and soon, the door opened, accompanied by a blast of trumpets. Princess Emille was an attractive blonde woman who wore an ice blue dress that really accented her body, in all the right places. But Lavitz was so stunned at the sight of the man beside her, the apparent husband of the Princess, that Lloyd stomped with all his might on Lavitz's boot to get his attention, and the soldier still didn't feel it. The Princess's husband wore green, a dark forest green. A formal suit and vest, long fancy pants, and fancy black shoes. He had dirty blonde hair that was almost brown, and it was tied back in a ponytail. Even though Lavitz had been dead, he recognized this face as if it was his very own.  
"King Albert." He said softly, softly so that only Lloyd could hear. The Wingly certainly understood Lavitz's shock. He tried to calm the soldier by putting his hand on his back. Eventually, Lavitz calmed himself, and sat down with all the rest.  
  
"Kingy Al! I get to see ya again!"  
"It's wonderful to see you too, Meru. And you as well, Miranda. It has only been one month, but it certainly felt longer."  
"The days seem longer, certainly, but that's because we were never bored back then." Miranda noted, sipping her thick wine slowly.  
"And who are these fellows?" Albert asked. Miranda thought quickly, and before Meru could blurt out anything, she spoke.  
"They are here to help us, Albert." She had been used to not using formalities around him.  
"That is good, but why do they mask themselves."  
"It is safer for us to have or identities a secret." Lavitz spoke then, changing his voice to sound as different as possible.  
It appeared to work. "I see." The King responded.  
"Let's not talk about such things tonight." Emille responded, placing her hands on Albert's shoulders and massaging them slightly.  
"I agree." Miranda responded, drinking her wine. Lavitz, relieved that the conversation was over before he had a real chance to blow his cover, went to his food, eating as meticulously as possible. Although the wine smelled really good, and it seemed to taste good because Miranda kept drinking it, he drank very little. He wasn't much for fancy drinks for one thing; he preferred beer and whiskey to this fancy stuff, and the other was that he didn't want to slip up for anything, and getting drunk caused Lavitz to say things he shouldn't. He was on the receiving end of many a joke back when he was a soldier of Basil. The joke went that if the enemies wanted Basil's movements, they could just capture Lavitz and force him to drink until he spilled the beans.  
  
Eventually, the food ran out, and Lavitz ate so much he felt like he'd explode. Thanks were passed around, and the company left the table. Lavitz somehow shook King Albert's hand without shouting out and removing his hood, and then retired to his room, rather quickly. There, he undressed, bathed, and tried to get to sleep quickly. However, he kept thinking about King Albert, and how hard it would be to keep his cover. He and Albert had been friends since the younger, the King, was born. Albert knew every single quirk about the soldier, so Lavitz had to tread on eggshells.  
"I'm sorry, King Albert, I'm not being fair to you, but this is something I must do by myself."  
  
Meru went to see Albert.  
"Where's yer wife?" She asked when she found him sitting on his bedside.  
"Bathing." He returned. "Meru, do you know those two men who Miranda brought with her."  
"Yep!" She said cheerfully. Albert looked at her expectantly.  
"Don't let me keep you from telling me." Albert replied, a little annoyed.  
"C'mon, don't be like that. I was gonna tell ya! Let's see...you're not gonna believe this, but one of 'em's Lloyd!" That statement appeared to startle the king, which was the effect Meru was hoping for.  
"How?"  
"I dunno, but that's what 'Randa tells me, and I trust her." Meru responded, exaggerating the stretching of her arms as she spoke.  
"Alright, what about the other?"  
"Greham?"  
"That's his name? I knew a Greham back some time ago. Of course, he was dead for some time."  
"So was Lloyd." Meru responded. Her attention was then drawn to a small painting that Albert had apparently brought with him.  
"You like that?" Albert asked.  
"Yeah, who is it?" She asked.  
"That was Lavitz, remember how I told the stories about him. I regret that you never got to see him. He was such a great soldier and friend, and I miss him immensely; everyone who knew him misses him: Dart, Shana, even Master Haschel." Albert spoke as Meru looked at the painting. A second-rate artist, but definitely someone who spent their time doing portraits, did the work. The features of Lavitz were stern but kind.  
  
As Meru looked at the potratit, she couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. It looked so familiar, the features of this Lavitz. It was as if she had seen this man before. Of course she'd never seen him for real. He died before Meru could meet him, and in Mayfil, Dart, Rose, and Albert monopolized the man's time. But then she started thinking. That portrait had Lavitz having crew-cut hair, yellow as the sun. She imagined it lengthened a bit. She also imagined more lines of worry across his brow, as if he was constantly was nervous about people's safety. Imagining Lavitz with these new features reminded her inexplicably of Greham. At first, she thought maybe she was just thinking too much. There are many people in the world, these two just happen to look alike. But she wondered why she couldn't believe that.  
  
Looking at Meru study the portrait immensely, Albert wondered why she was doing such a thing. She would never have met Lavitz. At most, she glimpsed him in Mayfil.  
"Still, it is a rather nice portrait." Albert thought to himself.  
"Greham..." Albert thought. Greham was the traitor who killed Servi, Lavitz's father. The man was dead, and the Jade Dragoon passed to Lavitz, and then to himself when Lavitz died.  
"I..." Albert thought a minute about the hooded man who was known as Greham, the man who Miranda had brought from Mille Seseau. Albert remembered what Greham had looked like. When trying to look at the face hidden behind the hood, Albert caught a hint of blonde hair, and Greham was brunette. Greham also had a higher voice then the man spoke, plus Greham had been extremely thin, while this hooded stranger appeared to be well- built and muscular if a tad bit stocky. Not to mention that one of Greham's odd quirks was his dichromatic eyes, the left blue and the right brown, while Lavitz's eyes were green.  
"Like Lavitz was." Albert stifled a tear. Lavitz was dead, and he couldn't dwell on it. Lloyd may have come back from the dead, but Lavitz was gone.  
"Besides, Lavitz would chide me if he knew I was acting like this." Albert said to himself. "He'd tell me I think too much and should stop worrying about the immutable past." Albert had only caught a glimpse of that stranger, while he was still wearing his hood, and most of the man's face was obscured by shadow.  
  
But that man's eyes...those eyes...they were the same old green. 


	6. Interlude: Return of the Sacred Sisters

Lavitz woke up feeling extremely rested. He hadn't had such a good night sleep in such a long time. Before his death, Lavitz never slept well because he always liked the night, and in Mayfil, one never slept; there was no need. But now, Lavitz learned to love the sun and the radiance it shone down.  
"Ahh, what a wonderful morning!" Lavitz said aloud, opening the curtains and letting the sun light up the room.  
"It will be an awful morning for you if it's earlier then it feels!" Lloyd responded crankily from his bed, a pillow overtop his head to block out the light. Lavitz was in too good of a mood to argue with him, so he just donned his robe and left the room.  
  
The soldier almost skipped down the halls, humming a Serdian tune to himself, barely audible. His mother sang the words to that song, but Lavitz could never remember the lyrics.  
"Good morning, Greham." A male voice from behind Lavitz scared the hell out of him, nearly causing him to trip. The soldier didn't need to turn around to know that it belonged to King Albert.  
"Hello, King Albert. You're up early." Lavitz tried to change his voice to resemble the one he used to fool the king last night, but he didn't nail it completely right. Lavitz prayed the king wouldn't recognize the difference.  
"Greham, have you ever been to Serdio?" The king asked.  
"Yes." Lavitz responded. He might as well not lie about that.  
"Have you been to Bale, you are humming a tune from there." The king pointed out.  
"Shit." Lavitz muttered under his breath. Composing himself quickly, he tried to look at the king, peeking out from under the hood only slightly.  
"I'm there from time to time, but I do not stay long. It is a nice tune, is it not?"  
"Do you know the words?"  
"No."  
"Greham, are you the same Greham from my memories?" Albert asked. Lavitz felt all the color drain from his face. Had he been discovered? Did Meru blab the features of his face and Albert piece together the fragments to deduce that the man under the hood was his old friend?  
"I cannot look into your mind." Lavitz responded. "I can't answer that question."  
"The Greham I knew was a traitor..."  
Lavitz cut him off quickly. "Bite your tongue, Your Majesty. I may be a mercenary, but my word is law. Once I accept a contract, I finish it to the letter without deviation."  
"Hmph." Albert folded his arms across his chest and put a cross look on his face. "Then maybe you aren't. Besides, Greham is dead."  
"Then how can I be him?"  
"These are chaotic times, the world shakes and quakes in fear at one young girl; things happen that wouldn't normally."  
"I've heard the stories. The cursed Moon Child and the Moon that Never Sets." Lavitz said.  
"Good, I hate hearing that legend about how the Moon Child descends to purify the world and bless it."  
"But the Moon that Never Sets is gone; it's was destroyed in the Second Dragoon Campaign." Lavitz protested. This was something he forgot to ask Charle, about how the Moon Child could be the cause of chaos if the Moon that Never Sets, the flesh of the god, was gone.  
"I have a few theories, but they are only that. I plan to travel to Charle Frahma and discuss them with her." Albert responded. Lavitz thought for a second. Before he left Mayfil, Syuveil tried to wonder the same thing, but since he couldn't see much of the world to find out what was going wrong, anything he spit out, he contradicted later. But he did mention that perhaps the flesh of the Virage Embryo was not destroyed, and simply waiting in something else, waiting for the Moon Child to come to it.  
  
"I see. Well, I'm afraid thinking about Moon Children and flesh of super beings is not my specialty. I can't help you." Lavitz responded.  
"Can I ask one more thing of you?" Albert asked, placing his hand on Lavitz's shoulder.  
"I can't stop you from asking." Lavitz responded, acting more cold to help his disguise. When Albert found out the truth later, Lavitz was sure the king would forgive him.  
"Why do you hide from all of us?"  
"I'm not hiding." Lavitz protested.  
"Then you're running." Albert said deductively, and then turned tail and exited the room before Lavitz could say anything.  
"Running? No...no, I'm not." Lavitz protested weakly to himself. Maybe he was running; afraid to get attached because he wasn't sure if Mayfil would call him again after his duty was finished. But, wouldn't anyone if they were like that? He didn't want to get attached and become a wailing specter in Mayfil. If he did go back, Lavitz wanted it to be the way he had it; where he was a sane and even a bit consoling of a soul, listening to the stories of old men and women about forbidden love, honor and glory, and all the other interesting tales that would fill an eternal number of books.  
  
He also hoped the original Dragoons were okay, he had grown so close to them that he almost felt as if he lived the Dragon Campaign with them. He bonded well with Syuveil, and the two former Jade Dragoons had exchanged constant theories on economics, politics, and many other topics. Lavitz didn't even think Syuveil knew that the soldier's theories had mostly come from Albert, and how Lavitz would constantly listen to Albert talk about these things and argue with Minister Noish and other Serdians that Lavitz became an expert without reading any books.  
  
"Hello, sir." Came a female voice from behind him, jarring Lavitz back into reality. Lavitz turned around and noticed that two of the Sacred Sisters were walking up to him. They must've finally gotten here with what forces Mille Seseau deployed.

"May we speak to you?" One of them asked. She wore all purple and held the hands of the other, the younger, as if the younger was leading her. Was she the blind Sacred Sister? "Of...of course." Lavitz responded.

"Somewhere...private." The other girl, the young, cheerful looking one, said with a nod and a smile. Lavitz nodded and started towards his room, when he remembered that Lloyd was also there and probably back asleep. So he checked the rooms until he found one that he wanted, what appeared to be a sitting room furnished for those to wait for an audience.

"Now, what did you want to discuss, milady?" Lavitz asked respectfully.

"Lavitz, I sense great sadness within you." The blind woman responded. Luanna, that was it, her name was Luanna. Lavitz paled at the mention of his name.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but my name is Greham." Lavitz stuttered a little. She'd never believe it now.

"Lavitz, I can see into people's hearts, and I know your birth name, and what happened to you. Please, don't resist. I want to help you, but I can't if you won't trust me." Lavitz paused, so that was this Sacred Sister's power. It was amazing. He had heard stories in Serdio that the blind Sacred Sister could help people who had lost their minds, but he never imagined this. It was almost Wingly-like in power.

"Um...I...uh..." Lavitz stuttered a little. Luanna held up her hands towards him, the other Sacred Sister letting go and touching the blind woman's shoulders as if to remind her of where she was.

"Lavitz." She said only his name, but Lavitz could feel like she meant more.

"What do you see?" Lavitz asked. Luanna then moved forward, and placed her hands on Lavitz's chest.

"There is a darkness within your heart, but it isn't one of evil, it's all of sorrow. You regret much, you regret this choice you made."

"I...I didn't think I was the best candidate to return to life. Rose or Shirley would've been better. Or Damia, she never got to experience a lot of goodness. She deserved this much more then me."

"That is not all. Your heart is full of regret and despair. You are not happy with the way you treat others."

"Who would like to treat others like you were Soa himself and all else were vermin?"

"Lavitz, please, you need not talk. Sister Luanna's power will reveal everything. And from knowledge can you get over your sadness." The other sister, Sister Setie, responded. Lavitz nodded, and shut his eyes, thinking that it would help her.

"Lavitz, you are truly altruistic and kind. You've healed and brought peace to the dead that would have never found it in life. You regret being here because you cannot help them. Your life is full of painful choices, and you regret constantly the choice you do not make." Sister Luanna hit it right on the nail. Lavitz thought about the souls of old women whose husbands died in war. The men, having not accepted their deaths, were wailing specters that could not recognize the touch of their wives. It was Lavitz who helped console the women, and that they should be happy; at least she and her husband were together again.

"That is the only darkness of your heart. You do not hate the man who killed you; you do not hate the man who killed your father. The only thing within you is regret and sorrow." Sister Luanna's voice sounded almost dream-like to Lavitz. He was remembering things in Mayfil; the old Dragoons. Damia had once said she was glad to know Lavitz because the soldier never made her feel alone. Belzac loved children and almost treated Lavitz like he was the old Golden Dragoon's son. Lavitz would've protested that he was probably older then Belzac, but Belzac did have 11,000 years on Lavitz, at least. Shirley and Belzac were close, and she and Lavitz became friends as well; they talked many times. Rose was no longer as distant as she was when she was alive. Although Lavitz himself didn't understand it, Zeig said that Dart and all the others had revived a part of Rose that had lied dormant since the Dragon Campaign. That part that lied dormant was the part of her that was a reckless woman, someone whose life could end at any moment. That was what made Rose feel alive.

"Sister Luanna, you who can read a heart like a book, what should I do?"

"Take happiness in what you have done. For instance, consider where you are now." Her voice rang out.

"That's right, I've never gotten to see the world before. It's something I always wanted to do."

"Consider the people you are talking to."

"Aye, I would never have heard King Albert's voice again, and I'm bound to see Dart and all the others again."

"Consider what you can accomplish here." Sister Luanna instructed.

"That's right, I'm here on a mission, I need to save the world. Zeig told me to stop thinking so selfishly, and I should stop! Why am I thinking only of what makes me happy? The world is more important. I didn't want this life, but what I want is of little consequence, what's important is the world and all of the people here."

"Well spoken, Lavitz." Sister Setie responded as Sister Luanna removed her hands from Lavitz's chest.

"But...Sister Luanna...how can I love life again?" Lavitz asked.

"There are many ways to love life, and so few ask me that question that I could never give a completely succinct answer. The best advice I can give is to find something that you love and focus your thoughts on accomplishing that task again and again."

"That...sounds like hedonism." Lavitz said with a chuckle.

"Perhaps." Sister Luanna then stood up and moved to leave, however, she stopped as Sister Setie went towards the soldier, still robed and seated on his chair.

"Lavitz, I received word from Charle Frahma. She told me to give you this." Setie held in her hands the Dragoon Spirit that Charle had shown Lavitz in Ulara, the one neither of the two men picked; the North Star Dragoon Spirit.

"I will need this?" Lavitz asked.

"She said you would." Sister Setie responded, and then she and Sister Luanna left the room. Lavitz tucked the stone in one of the many hidden folds of his robe, but sat and considered Sister Luanna's words. Hedonism was the pursuit of pleasure, and what Sister Luanna said certainly seemed like it was as such. But hedonism sounded so wrong, yet Sister Luanna spoke of it with kindness. Maybe it wasn't the same thing.  
  
Lloyd woke up; a little cranky that Lavitz had woken him up before.

"Maybe I shouldn't have snapped like that. Mayfil was a pretty depressing place, and the sun does feel rather nice." Lloyd mused as he bathed and quickly threw on his old clothes, the sleeveless shirt and black pants. The Wingly had told Lavitz to inform him of when it was time to go, so Lloyd decided to read an old book from King Zior's library. A cheap adventure book that was predictable, but not bad. He thumbed through the pages mindlessly and in no rush, there wasn't much to do today after all. Lloyd then heard a quiet knock at his door. Lavitz was an extremely polite person, and would've knocked before entering a room, so Lloyd assumed it was him. Lavitz would also have been the only person to know that the occupant in the room was possibly still asleep, so he would've been quieter. So Lloyd, not bothering to don his robe, put his book down, then walked to the door and opened it.  
  
But the person at the door wasn't the robed soldier. No, this person was a woman. She had long blonde hair, and she wore a dark violet shirt with a long maroon skirt. She also wore heeled shoes. She had a stunned look on her face, as if she wasn't expecting Lloyd to open it.  
  
Sister Wink. Lloyd shouldn't have been shocked to see her again. After all, Lavitz and Miranda both mentioned that they were going to tell her about him. But by the appearance of her face, she wasn't told anything. But even though he shouldn't have been, the appearance of the Sacred Sister appearing in his room was a shock, and it reflected on his face, and in the fact that Lloyd almost felt his shoes glued to the floor.  
  
So Wink made the first moved. She moved forward, nearly leaping, as she kicked the door shut with her foot. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed his body to hers. She didn't have much physical strength; she made up for it in quickness. Lloyd, stunned, didn't react for a second, but soon he embraced her, and let her head fall to his shoulder as she sobbed softly.

"Sister Wink..." Lloyd started. But she didn't answer, not wanting to break the moment. So Lloyd stayed silent, and hugged her for a while longer.


	7. Sandoria: Ambitions of an Emperor

"So, Miranda, the forces from Mille Seseau are all here, so now what do we do?" Lavitz asked.  
"We go ahead to Lohan, regroup with a few others, and then we strike straight at Kazas. We must sneak in. The Mille Seseau and Tiberoan forces are going to engage the Sandorians on the western front while Basil strikes from the east." Miranda informed.  
"Ah, a classic pincer formation to divide Sandoria's forces between two fronts."  
"Three. When we strike at the heart, they will need troops there to defend themselves." Miranda corrected.  
"Who are we meeting in Lohan?"  
"It depends on who shows up there, but I'll introduce you." Miranda responded briefly. Cold as ice, that was her style.  
"Much like the way I was working." Lavitz thought to himself. Beneath her attitude, Lavitz was sure she was just a lonely and insecure girl. Lavitz felt like that after returning from Mayfil, but it was a little different. Her problems were not as major as his, life and death were just so awkward and different.  
  
"Alright, Lloyd, were getting going." Lavitz said as he entered his room. Lloyd was reading a book, but he had a smile on his face. A smile that suggested that he had also met a Sacred Sister, and since Luanna, Miranda, and Setie had already been busy, that left only Sister Wink.  
"It seems you have had an enjoyable morning." Lavitz responded, folding his arms across his chest.  
"Why yes, thanks for noticing." Lloyd responded a bit sarcastically, but mostly with a carefree attitude.  
"Sister Wink came by."  
"Yes. What of it?"  
"Just saying." Lavitz responded. What Lloyd did was his own business, and Lavitz didn't really give a damn.  
"Alright then..." Lloyd put his robe on, and Lavitz was now weirded out. Lloyd was acting like the two of them were bosom buddies, and not like one of them killed the other.  
"He's coping remarkably well, how the hell does he do it? I'd have killed him a thousand times over by now." Lavitz muttered. He quickly grabbed his mace, and met Miranda outside. They were getting a send-off by the royal family, a glamorous and special occasion. Lavitz honestly thought it was too damn extravagant, and placed far too much pressure on those being sent off, but it was nice to know that people were depending on him again. The one thing Lavitz always wanted to be viewed as was dependable.  
  
The streets of Fletz were surrounded with people throwing flower petals on the ground. The walk almost did feel softer under Lavitz's hard boots. Miranda was taking the lead as she walked, head held high as if she was used to this formality. Lavitz walked in second, with Meru and King Albert right behind him. Lloyd tailed in the back. The other three Sacred Sisters were nowhere to be found, but they were probably going to lead Mille Seseau's forces. King Zior and his two daughters were standing at the gates, and Miranda bowed her head in respect. She had long been urged to treat King Zior as an equal, but it was difficult. King Zior did not appear to have seen much war; it was hard to view him as an equal, a fighting comrade. She saw him as more of a diplomat.  
"I wish you the best of luck, Dragoons." King Zior responded. Lavitz nodded and bowed a little, sweeping his left hand outward in extravagance.  
"Farewell, everyone." Princess Lisa encouraged. "I hope that when all is well, we may celebrate in our castle."  
"I look forward to that, Princess Lisa." Miranda responded formally.  
"My husband..."  
"I know what you're about to say, Emille, and do not worry. I will take care of myself, and we will return with minimal losses." Albert responded tactfully, as if giving a battle stratagem. She nodded; she was probably used to this, and kissed her husband. Although he couldn't understand why, the sight of that made Lavitz a little jealous. King Albert was younger then he was; yet he was married already. Some people just rushed marriage, Lavitz thought. Albert was definitely sensible, so it must have been Emille who pushed for it.  
"Oh well, I've got better things to worry about than marriage." Lavitz thought. He was sure that the people in Lohan would be the other Dragoons, namely Dart. Dart had mentioned in Mayfil that Shana was a Dragoon no longer, so it was doubtful whether she would show up. Master Haschel might be there, and possibly that Giganto Kongol. Lavitz looked forward to seeing his old friend again, although something in the back of his mind told him that this occurrence might be more then he bargained for.  
  
Serdio had not changed much, although Lavitz did not expect it too. It had only been a month, for Soa's sake, no major terraforming could happen in four weeks. The mountain passes were surprisingly empty, Lavitz expected Sandoria's soldiers to be crawling through. King Albert looked apprehensive, as if he expected an ambush party to leap on their heads any minute. Lloyd took point, navigating the passes expertly, never staying on the main path for too long, yet not going on rough and near impassable terrain like "discreet" paths normally took. Lavitz knew horror stories of soldiers, to sneak and ambush enemies, taking paths that were similar to walking on tightropes. But he kept the stories to himself, and stayed silent the whole journey. If Mayfil had taught him anything, Lavitz knew now, more then ever, the wisdom of silence. Albert talked a little, about various mathematical theories.  
"King Albert, you can trust me to tell you the truth." Lavitz thought to himself. "You are boring."  
  
Lohan, like Serdio at large, was unchanged. It was jam-packed full of merchants trying desperately to get the gullible to buy some worthless trinket at an outlandish price. Albert led the group into a dark building that appeared to have once been a bar, but the place was closed down. Lloyd was the only person who didn't follow; he had mentioned that he wanted to get a new sword. Although his rapier was indeed a bit dull, Lavitz knew the truth; he was not ready to see Dart. Lavitz said idly in the corner of the room, as if hiding. He wanted a drink, but since the place was closed, there was no booze to be found.  
"Oh well, we'll be fighting soon. I've always disapproved of drinking before battle." He thought to himself. As Lavitz just about drifted asleep, he heard the door open, and immediately, the soldier perked up. From in the door came a few figures. A few unforgettable figures. First in was an old man, but certainly not a feeble looking elder. This man had been fiery and youthful ever since he was born, and he showed no intention of slowing down. Master Haschel himself, as if he was forgettable.  
The second figure was large, grotesquely large. He had an odd hairstyle, and was completely massive, arms as thick as tree trunks, all muscle. They were the most prominent feature. The sole Giganto, Kongol.  
The last was a young man with spiky blonde hair. He carried a giant sword that he swung with both hands, but what drew the most attention was the garish red armor. Covering his entire body, minus one of his arms, it screamed out attention. Lavitz bit his tongue to stop himself from screaming out Dart's name. After hearty hugs and greetings from old friends and heroes, the newcomers turned their attention to the hooded figure.  
"And who is this?" Haschel asked.  
"He friend?" Kongol asked. His grammar had not improved, but he appeared to speak quieter and with less force, something of an accomplishment.  
"There are two of them, and they are mercenaries from Mille Seseau. The other went to get a more serviceable weapon." Miranda responded. "Where is Shana?" Lavitz paused; he wasn't expecting not to see Shana. It worried him, because he wasn't sure if he could lie to her, she was just so innocent.  
"She is back in Seles. Most of our fighters are with the Basil forces, and someone needed to stay and protect the people there." Dart responded. Lavitz was glad that he stopped being so overprotective. She could stand on her own two feet, even if she rushed into battle a little too much.  
  
Lavitz then felt something. It felt like his Dragoon spirit was getting hotter, and it was getting unbearable. He fished it out. At the sight of it, Dart's eyes went wide.  
"I suppose you wouldn't have known that those two both are Dragoons. They've taken over the spirits of Zeig and Rose." Albert responded. Miranda must've told him about it.  
"They're also really good people!" Meru shouted. Lavitz almost chuckled. He had been a complete dick to her, for the most part. Probably that moment on the boat softened her a little. Despite her cheerful nature, she could be downright persistent.  
"Doesn't he talk?" Dart asked.  
"Very little." Albert responded. "He rarely says a word." Lavitz noted that neither Miranda nor Meru talked about Lloyd. Probably didn't want to bother Dart about it.  
  
As if on cue, Lloyd returned. His face was still hidden under the hood, only the new weapon at his hip, a long saber, was the sign that anything different had happened.  
"Ah, here's the other one. How do you tell the difference between the two of them?" Haschel asked.  
"That one is named Greham." Miranda pointed to Lavitz, who still held out the Red Eye Dragoon spirit. It felt unbelievably hot, and Lavitz couldn't bear to hold it any longer.  
"Is this thing supposed to feel like I'm holding a volcano?" Lavitz asked, changing his voice again. Miranda looked at it.  
"The last time it became unbearable to hold was when Zeig was able to wrest it from..." Dart started, but the Red Eye spirit started floating in the air. To Lavitz's awe, the spirit floated over to Dart and started glowing in its crimson hue.  
"I guess that means I can't use it." Lavitz tried to appear nonchalant, but he really liked being a Dragoon. "It belongs to you now."  
"That might explain why the Divine Dragoon spirit no longer worked for me." Dart mused aloud. He slipped the spirit away.  
"Well, should we get going?" Lavitz asked. "The sooner this is done, the sooner Sandoria becomes less of a threat to world stability."  
"True." Albert said. "We've been sitting for far too long."  
  
Lavitz had never been inside Kazas before, but the Black Capital was truly dark and foreboding. Even the clouds darkened with an aura of unmistakable evil. If Lavitz was superstitious, he'd be absolutely scared. But he wasn't; he was ready, Dragoon spirit or no, to find Horven Frahma quickly.  
"Kongol know fast routes." The lumbering Giganto took the lead, with Albert and Miranda behind. Lavitz and Lloyd had the flanks, with Haschel, Dart, and Meru in the rear. The allied forces of Basil, Tiberoa, and Mille Seseau were employing a pincer attack, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Sandoria's few soldiers left in the palace to employ cunning maneuvers of strategy to make up for their meager numbers.  
"It would be best to fell the leader quickly." Albert strategized. Lavitz agreed, no sense in dragging out a war to have senseless deaths; Mayfil had plenty of specters. Kongol took the group through dark, foreboding passageways that almost seemed to twist upon themselves. But eventually, they came up to a walkway, where the view of a beautiful statue could be seen.  
"That statue had a hidden elevator in it." Dart pointed out. "This whole room was constructed solely for the purpose of viewing the statue."  
"For a castle, this place is empty." Miranda noted. "We haven't seen any guards since we've been here. Or encountered, at least."  
"Maybe they just realize that they can't fight us?" Meru wondered.  
"Our presence here is clandestine." Lavitz responded.  
"Clanwhat?"  
"Secret." Albert defined. "I'm impressed, Greham, was it? You are quite intelligent."  
"I wouldn't have it any other way. What good is muscle if there is no mind?"  
"Well spoken." Albert responded. The group moved in silence a little longer until they reached a large open room.  
"This is an atrium." The King responded.  
"Who cares what it is, who is that?" Meru shouted, pointing towards the far end of the room.  
"Greetings." A young man, barely 19, was leaning against the wall. He was dressed in a brown leather sleeveless shirt and matching leather shorts that appeared to have once been pants, but they had the pant legs cut off so that the length of the pants fell a few inches short of his knees.  
"And you thought I dressed smutty for a man." Lavitz heard Lloyd mutter.  
"Who are you?"  
"That's none of your concern. Tell me, what are you doing in this castle. It is private property, you know."  
"And what was declaring Sandoria an independent nation? That's the high crime of treason." Albert responded.  
"Pathetic words, you say them like I made that declaration and led those armies. What are you going to do about it, wag your tongue at me, or use your swords?"  
"Swords!" Dart shouted, raising his own blade. The group quickly prepared for battle.  
"8 on 1 doesn't sound too fair. Let us make this sporting. I will fight King Albert in single combat. If I win, you leave in shame and acknowledge our independence. If you win, I will allow you access to the Emperor himself."  
"I accept." Albert responded stepping forward and getting his spear ready.  
"King Albert, let me." Dart responded.  
"Thank you Dart, but I was taught by Lavitz."  
"I forgot." Dart added sarcastically.  
"Who are you?" Albert asked as the two men clashed.  
"Me? Know your enemy is it?" The leather clad man was agile and swift, an exotic, small weapon in each of his hands. The ambidextrous man's weapon was similar to a three-pronged dagger. If memory served, they were called sai. He jumped in the air and struck almost as fast as the wind. But Albert knew how to fight things like this, Lavitz rehashed the king on fighting swift enemies constantly. Albert had an intuition about fast strikes, and parried the man's swift moves with the shaft of his spear. The leather man was too fast for Albert to counter-attack, but he was concentrating completely on offense, on getting as many attacks out as possible. He would soon tire himself out.  
  
Lavitz's prediction was true. As the leather clad man tried to attack, he paused for a second to catch his breath. That was when Lavitz struck. He used the shaft of his spear to sweep the kid off of his feet, and then held the spear tip close to the man's throat.  
"You've lost this battle, warrior." Albert responded.  
"Erg..." The leather clad man grumbled. "How careless of me."  
"You're too sentimental. Not very becoming of a soldier." Lavitz responded.  
"I suppose I could answer your question now. I am Greg Windstrom, that's my birth name, not Gregory."  
"And where is the Emperor."  
"He is in that door behind me." Greg pointed with his sai to the door he had been leaning against.  
"That leads to the throne room where Emperor Doel was fought." Albert noted  
"Quite correct, King Albert." The man sat down, exhausted, to the ground.  
"You share the surname of the man who founded this empire." Miranda called attention to. "Emperor Windstrom."  
"Yes, I do." Greg responded indignantly.  
"Wait, you can't mean..."  
"Heh he, so it would seem." Haschel responded.  
"The Prince of Sandoria, son of Emperor Windstrom. Known as the Wind General for his swift moves in battle." Dart said. "He was often called a shadow, never seen on a battlefield. I almost thought he was an urban myth."  
"Did you think I got the position through nepotism? Urban myths tend to have some truth behind them, unless they are just plain stupid." Greg responded. "Go, my father awaits. He's expecting you. But before you go....kill me!" He ordered.  
"What?" Meru shouted.  
"I've failed in my duties. My father is much strong then I, but I know in my heart that he will lose. I do not want to know his death, so, kill me! Kill me while I know he is alive."  
"Absolutely not." Albert responded. "There is no need for death, all I must do is convince your father to step down from power."  
"Our...our dream is a world that is free, a world of equality. I am a half-Wingly, you know. Are you aware of the story about the Snow Queen?" Greg asked, wheezing.  
"I do." Haschel responded. "The Snow Queen was the Queen of Sandoria. She was the most beautiful and fairest woman in all of Endiness. Although now that I recall her features, she wasn't a human."  
"Completely correct. The Snow Queen was my mother, and she perished to illness soon after the nation was founded. She was no human, she was a Wingly woman. I do not know how she and my father fell in love, but my twin sister and myself were the result of their union. Do I appear human to you?" Greg asked. Lavitz paused. He did appear like a human, but there was an exotic feature. Greg's hair was a mix between blonde and silver, and he had the frail physique that Winglies had in abundance.  
"What does that have to do with your father and his position."  
"He will not relent. He wants to make the world save for Humans, Winglies, Giganto, and even the half-breeds like myself. Kongol, my father knows the location of a race of people, isolated, living in high mountains near the Death Frontier. They are half-Giganto." Kongol's expression didn't change, but Lavitz could tell he wanted to go there.  
"So, your father thinks that the rest of the world is bigoted?"  
"Why else would they be forced to live there?" Greg returned. "So, I have satisfied your curiosity, now end mine! Kill me!" He commanded again. The boy shut his eyes, and bent his head backward, exposing his vulnerable neck. Lavitz stepped forward before Albert could, and before anyone could protest, Lavitz smacked the kid across the face with his mace, knocking him out cold.  
"Death is too tragic for such children. Let us move quickly before he wakes up." Lavitz responded. Before anyone could talk again, he moved to the door and opened it, entering the darkened room.  
"Greham..." Meru spoke so silently, she could barely hear herself. "Does this...remind you...of your own past?"  
  
Soon, everyone was together again. The room was dark for a second, but blue flames lit up on large torch sconces, and soon, the room was completely illuminated, even if eerie shadows danced across the walls and the dusty, burgundy carpet.  
"So, the Wind General was no match for you." A voice sounded from the throne. It belonged to a tall, somewhat stocky but extremely muscular man. He carried two swords about as long as his arms, the blades thick and apparently extremely sharp. The man himself was blonde and full-bearded. He wore a crown on his head, and his uniform, a suit of chain armor with plates protecting the vitals, appeared almost sinister.  
"He is not..." Albert started to speak, probably to tell him his son was not dead, but the stern voice of the man silenced him.  
"Silence! I will hear no words. My queen and my son are dead, and my swordmistress of a daughter will join them when those dogs from Tiberoa kill her, if she's alive now. How ironic that their fool of a father survives them. But come, if I must die, you will all go with me. I will destroy all the Dragoons and myself! It seems that this world will not bear the thought of accepting others." Albert wanted to protest again, but everyone else knew it was pointless. Miranda just rose her bow, fully loaded, prepared to end this in one shot.  
"Think you can defeat me that easily?" The man responded. An amulet on his chest started to glow with a dark, pulsing light. It subsided a minute later, and there was a sight Lavitz never thought he'd see again. A Dragoon as an enemy. Black armor covered his body, while leathery wings erupted from his back. His swords almost appeared grafted to his arms now, but they looked ten times as fierce.  
"I am the Gravity Flux Dragoon, a man with the power to rule over the powerful Dragons themselves. I know that you are all Dragoons, with the exception of that hooded idiot with the mace. Did you think that normal humans could defeat me. Come, this body is a sword, and this hallowed hall is a burial ground. If you wish to die, come and taste death!"  
"Everyone, quickly!" Dart shouted. A powerful rush of energy assaulted Lavitz from different angles as everyone else, including Lloyd, transformed into their Dragoon state. The sight of so many Dragoons together was amazing, it almost felt like he was living the Dragon Campaign.  
"I was hoping you'd do that. Behold, the awesome might of the Gravity Flux Dragoon!" The Emperor raised his arms, and Lavitz, along with everyone else, hit the floor. It felt like someone had placed a ton of bricks on his back.  
"I can control the very force that binds you to this world. I can make you weightless and disoriented if I choose, or I can make it so your arms are too heavy. INVERSE GRAVITY THRUSTER!" Emperor Windstrom shouted. Miranda, Lloyd, and Haschel were all flung into the air and slammed into the ceiling.  
"I can't move my arms!" Miranda shouted. "I can't get a shot at him!"  
"Wings are useless, they feel so heavy!" Lloyd added. With a flick of the Emperor's wrist, those three plummeted back to the ground, the floor just as unyielding as the ceiling. Dart growled and tried to prop himself up with his sword, but the Emperor turned around again and blasted him backward, smacking him against the black marble walls. Everything in this room was black marble, and it was hard and cold, fitting the personality of this savage man in battle. Was he truly seeking a world of tolerance? Perhaps. If Rose was correct, Doel had killed Albert's father Carlo to help achieve his methods.  
  
But that didn't matter; Lavitz and all of his irreplaceable friends were in trouble. He forced himself up, despite the pain and the heavy feelings. Amused, the Emperor turned to face him, but did not blast him with sheer force like he did with Dart.  
"The human would try to fight?" Emperor Windstrom mused. "You would fight an invincible warrior when your powerful comrades have failed."  
"It has nothing...to do with power. I am required, and that is all I need." Lavitz responded.  
"Amusing. Them come forth. Take your weapon and strike me." The man puffed out his chest. He was distracted, and that gave Meru a chance.  
"TIDAL FORCE!" She shouted, blasting the man with a wave of water, knocking him off balance.  
"I thought Rose mentioned the Blue Sea Dragoon attacked with...That's right, Charle told me that the spirit separated. Water and ice, two separate things. She has one, and I have the other. The question is..." Lavitz pressed the North Star Dragoon spirit against his chest, and immediately he felt his entire body grow cold. It felt like his entire body was encased in complete ice. A second later, it shattered.  
Although Lavitz couldn't see himself, his robe had been replaced with ice-blue, nearly white armor, while Meru's had been a more deep blue, perhaps due to the loss of the North Star's influence. He had his wings again, and it felt good to have them back.  
"You are incorrect in one thing, and I think you can guess what it is. Now, face me if you can stand after this, FROST NOVA!" Lavitz did not bother changing his voice, as his face was no longer hidden under a hood, just a white bandana tied around his forehead disguised his face, and it did so poorly, and he was under too much stress to try and attempt it. He pressed his hands together, and an explosion of frigid air, with ice crystals shaped, exploded in an arc from Lavitz's fingertips. They shot towards the Emperor, and they pierced him, pierced him in the shoulder and stomach. He grumbled, and the rest of the Dragoons broke free from his spell. Haschel's fists charged, thunder brimming from them like lightning rods, and he flew through the air like a hornet, punching the Emperor. Lloyd moved in quickly with saber thrusts to assist.  
"That's enough." Albert said. "We don't want to kill him." The Emperor slowed his descent with his wings, and dropped to the ground. He was in no condition to continue fighting.  
"So...you did well. Perhaps, through your..." He started, but then he let out a scream of pain.  
"What the..." Lavitz started. He could feel Dart and Haschel, but Albert especially, staring at him. But Lavitz looked past the Emperor to the man behind him. A platinum haired stranger, unmistakably Wingly. He wore an amulet like the one Charle Frahma wore.  
"Horven Frahma?" Lloyd asked, but tit wasn't a question. He was sure he was right.  
"A pathetic sort." Horven responded. He was responsible for the Emperor's scream of pain, a knife through the chinks of armor the culprit. "It was easy to lure out the Dragoons by giving him this waif to give him the power to accomplish his nauseating dream." He addressed the dying Emperor. "Everyone knows that Winglies are the ones to rule. They are the superior race."  
"Bastard!" Lavitz shouted. That knife didn't appear to be Dragon Buster material, so he was ready to charge.  
"Calm yourself. I know my aunt sent you to find me and bring me to her. She has grown so soft and weak, not worthy of her mighty bloodline. She should learn the true methods from my father, the great Melbu Frahma."  
"He's dead, you know." Dart said, his sword on fire and the man himself looked prepared to dash in and attack in a moments notice. Looking to the left and right, the rest of the Dragoons were the same way.  
"I'm not here to fight, not now. I encourage you to give chase. I'm not the weak minded fool my aunt thinks I am. I am capable of fighting you all. But not here. There are still Dragoons left to meet. You will find your allies, and then, I will kill you all. Revenge, for my father, and for my race. Prepare to meet the end of your dynasty, humans!" And with that, the boy removed the knife from the Emperor's back and jumped up, using his pale blue wings to fly quickly up and out through an open skylight, which must have been how he came in.  
"So...my advisor is planning..." The Emperor was still alive.  
"Hold on." Miranda, still as the White Silver Dragoon, hovered over to him. "You'll survive those wounds if you hold still. I can treat these with my..."  
"No. I was the fool, and the fool deserves to die with his dream. Do not give me that, I want this death. I can be with my precious Snow Queen and my children again."  
"Your son is..." Haschel started, but he was cut off.  
"Father!" Greg's voice sounded. The pitter-patter of his feet brought the leather clad youth. He was crying, and Lavitz almost felt a pang at his heartstrings, and even felt a little jealous. Here was someone unafraid to cry, a man, no less.  
"So...that is what you were trying to tell me. You are...the people...I can entrust my...vision too. Greg, my...son. Help them if you...can."  
"Father, I..."Greg started, but was too choked up to finish." He held his father's hands as the Emperor's life finally slipped away from him. The Dragoon spirit itself started to glow again, as the black armor and wings faded from the Emperor, and he was back in his armor. The spirit, once it had finished de transforming, rose into the air.  
"So that's the...death of a Dragoon." Lavitz thought to himself, de- transforming quickly. The rest followed suite. Greg was still crying and on his knees.  
"Now kill me!" He ordered. "My father and mother are dead, and my sister may soon join us if she is not already. No one would accept a freak like myself, so just end it so my father won't worry about me anymore." Lavitz walked over and slapped the kid in the face.  
"Death is a sad thing, why would you want to die?"  
"Because there is no reason for me to live anymore. I'll live in a world of sorrow and anguish." As if sensing these worlds, the jet-black Dragoon spirit that was once the Emperor's fell delicately into Greg's hands.  
"We Dragoons affect the fate of others, and now, you are selected by destiny to take this path." Dart said.  
"Destiny is shit!" Greg returned. "Just kill me and be done with it. Give this to someone who gives about that BS. There is no sense in me lingering in this cruel world."  
"You are wrong." Lavitz responded. He then pulled the kid close and spoke softly. Not that he wanted to keep it a secret, but that he was trying to be compassionate.  
"Learning to live and cope with your sorrow, that is reason enough." 


	8. Return to Ilisa Bay: Revelation with a G...

There was a victory parade when the heroes returned to Fletz. It didn't shock anyone, least of all Lavitz. It was to bolster the morale of the people as much as praise the victors. Lavitz found parades tiring, but if the people liked them, then he supposed he could stomach it for a time.  
It was Greg that Lavitz couldn't keep his eyes off of. The boy looked despondent, which wasn't surprising. Meru tried to cheer him up, but she could have well been speaking in a foreign tongue. The boy walked as if he was about to be executed, even though Albert mentioned that he wanted Greg's help, help that could only be given by the living.  
  
It wasn't until Greg's weakness could be exploited that he began to act differently. The truth was, he was wrong in assuming his sister's death. She was truly ferocious on the battlefield, and that ferocity had made her death something of an impossibility. Her name was Odessa, and she wielded twin swords. She had routed three whole units of fighters before she could even get exhausted, and she accomplished that without any bodyguards or soldiers with her.  
"You are truly a woman of great skill." Miranda mentioned. "It is an honor to meet you."  
Odessa looked unimpressed, and tossed her hair a little. Her hair was the same as her brother's, a radiant silver-yellow.  
"We are both not ones for formality, Sister Miranda." Odessa respected the Sacred Sister enough to address her with a title, but the swordwoman's tone was sarcastic and cynical. After all, she had been brought to them in chains.  
"Release her." Albert commanded. The soldiers near her did so.  
"So, I suppose this is where you admonish me for betrayal to the Kingdom of Basil, and sentence me to execution. I know the policies well. There is no need for this senseless charade of justice you parade around, so just finish me and be done with it."  
"You think wrong, Odessa." Dart started.  
"You know as well as I do that as long as our bloodline exists, there will always be fanatics to try and revive the Sandorian Empire."  
"You are far too valuable alive, Lady Odessa." Albert started. "You are a superb military strategist and a fiercesome woman to match."  
"And I am your enemy, it is a foolish strategy to leave an enemy alive." Odessa replied. "My brother is as great a tactician as me, there is no need to leave me alive if he accepts your company."  
"Odessa..." Greg started. "I haven't accepted their company. I'm just going with them to revenge father. Until then, I...I don't want to see you die. You're all I've got left." The Wind General stifled a tear.  
"Then father..." Odessa started, but Greg filled her in on the details.  
  
"I see." Odessa responded at the end. "Well, I suppose if my father's killer runs free, then I should not be so fatalistic. Greg, I trust you to handle this."  
"Lady Odessa, there are still various border skirmishes, Horven Frahma has apparently caused more dissent then originally thought. Would you consider taking a position in Basil's army as our chief military mind? There are many in our forces who could benefit from your tutelage." Albert responded.  
"In times of war, strategy is the key that means victory or defeat. I'll accept your position, but only to prevent my father's murderer from getting the chaos he wants. Not because I owe anything to you for sparing my life." Odessa accepted.  
"Very well then. Horven Frahma was the advisor of your father, do you have any clues about him."  
"Other then the fact that he was Wingly, no. But I think one time or other; he mentioned something about a Dragoon located on one of the islands in Ilisa Bay. Perhaps you should direct your search there." She finished. Albert instructed a few of the Basil forces to take Odessa back to Bale. Lavitz paid little attention to it, but he had a feeling that he could trust this swordswoman. She believed in her father's dream of equality, she would not betray the act of his murder to kill others without reason. Especially with Sandoria a long lost kingdom.  
  
Lavitz retired shortly after dinner, but Meru visited him. The perky dancer's eyes were glowing, and Lavitz wondered if he had been found out.  
"I just wanted ta ask, you gonna be a comin' with us, 'cause there ain't no way we're a lettin' Horven destroy everythin'."  
"Certainly, Meru." Lavitz responded. "I had originally planned to work with Lloyd, as I didn't expect Horven to be so...sadistic. The death of the Emperor was uncalled for. I will not be able to handle this by myself."  
"I know. I was just makin' sure." And then Meru turned to leave. As she reached for the doorknob, the door opened and out came King Albert. He looked positively serious, as if he had other expressions.  
"Meru..." Albert said. She didn't need to be told twice, and she bolted out the door. Once she was gone, Albert shut it.  
"You are not Greham." Albert accused.  
"Then who am I?" Lavitz returned. That hood had been invaluable. Although Lavitz didn't understand why he was still hiding his identity, he still felt as thought he should. It might make things easier if Lavitz's return time on Endiness was limited.  
"I...I didn't get a chance to see you long enough to recognize you, but I have this feeling...a feeling...that I do know you. Why do you hide?"  
"There is not a reason for all things, Your Majesty." Lavitz responded. "I do as I please."  
"Hmph, who are you? And no tricks or lies this time, answer me straight!" The King was red with choler. Lavitz forced himself to be carefree.  
"Your anger does not provoke me, Your Majesty. If we are to work together, then we should learn to let well enough alone about each other's personal lives. All that matters is that I am after Horven and I have the power to stop him if necessary. What more does one need?"  
"Your name, for one."  
"What's in a name?" Lavitz responded. "It's just a title that I use. You may call me Bishop, or whatever else strikes you; it matters not to me."  
"Why do you act like this? We share the same mission as you and we possess the same power. Why should we not consider each other equals?"  
"We are equals." Lavitz responded. "I am Dragoon, no greater or less then you. I grant the freedom to you that I have taken advantage of. You simply choose to walk with your heads bare." Lavitz then turned to leave.  
"Perhaps...one day, when this is all over, I can forsake this accursed hood. But until then, I shall not remove it. I will not ask for your acceptance of my practices; I just ask you to be tolerant." And without waiting for the King's response, Lavitz left.  
  
The next day, the Dragoons departed to Donau. Lavitz was happy to be walking the flower petal draped streets, but the stay here was even shorter then the stay of the first arrival. There was barely time to rest, as there was time for that on the boat. The Commodore cast off immediately, and the waters of Ilisa Bay stretched out in the distance.  
  
Lavitz kept to himself for the voyage. Everyone present could feel the tension in the air between King and mercenary, and so, kept clear of the two of them. Meru was the only exception; she tried to cheer up the hooded man, but he would have none of it. Even she seemed depressed, as she realized that her efforts were futile.  
  
That night, the air seemed muggy and humid. Lavitz was alone in his cabin, so he wasn't worried about being seen without his robe and hood, but the air seemed so still and hot. An apprehensive night if there ever was one. The soldier tried to sleep, but found that he just couldn't. Lavitz knew he was tired, and so that must have meant something else was keeping him up. It wasn't because of King Albert, or any of the allies on the boat.  
  
And that meant it could only have been one person.  
  
The ship, the Queen Fury, was drifting; it's engines silent for the night. The waters were calm, and the sky was clear: stars and moon both shone without hindrance on the world below. But one thing: darting through the night sky like a bandit darts from rooftops, watched with awe.  
Horven Frahma smirked a little.  
"Let me test them: the strength of these Dragoons. Are they really the men who could have defeated my father?" Horven thought, as his hands whisked together, tracing magical patterns in the air with remarkable speed. It wasn't hard to make practical use of magic: Charle Frahma, despite her weak-willed tendencies, was full of wisdom. It had been her long-standing philosophy that magic is not just for destruction; that it could be used to create. And Horven took that lesson to heart. Although he did not create, he could make something grow.  
  
Reciting a spell of summoning, Horven made a small gate appear on the deck of the ship, which summoned a grotesque, yet to Horven, strangely beautiful, creature. It was a spider, if spiders got to be the size of cattle.  
"Go, my pretty. Feed to your heart's content. If you succeed, then my plans will go perfectly, and if you fail, that will make me want to kill them that much more." Then, Horven decided to assist his creation further. Horven knew about the Dragon Campaign, he had lived when it happened. His father had created a weapon that could prevent the transformation of the humans into Dragoons. However, it was an extremely complicated and powerful spell. Melbu never got a chance to cast it, and Horven was positive that if he did it now, he wouldn't have the strength to do it again for a while; that's how much magic it took. But once was all he needed. The spider, which he called Daisy, was something he made, and it was like a child. And now, it was time for the spider to feed.  
  
Albert was awoken by the sound of scuttling and snapping. Something was happening on deck. He dressed quickly and peeked outside. He didn't see anything, but he heard something. He heard stomping, and snapping, as if someone was stepping on bugs, a lot of bugs. And that was when he saw it: The biggest goddamn spider he'd ever seen before.  
"Horven, he's hounding us." Albert reasoned. He grabbed his spear and moved out of the room, unsure of how exactly to fight the damn thing. The rest of the crew, even Lloyd, who had abandoned his robe and hood once he found out Meru had told everyone about him, were outside, and appeared to be ready. Only the hooded stranger was absent.  
"Oh well, I can admonish him later, there's a giant spider to fight." Albert reasoned. He started with an attack trying to reach the spider's underbelly, but with one swoop of those massive chitinous legs that were thick like tree trunks, he was swatted away like a fly and crashed into the cabin door. Lloyd and Haschel went next but they too, met with similar ends. Miranda tried to let fly with an arrow to reach on of the bulbous green eyes, but the arrow seemed to have no effect, as the spider kept on swinging.  
"We must...turn into Dragoons." Albert strategize. He gripped the Jade Dragoon spirit, but no matter what he tried, it would not react.  
"Something's blocking it." Dart shouted. The spider turned towards the King and Dart and spit out a glob of something from its mandibles. It appeared to be a web-like thing. Albert had never heard of spiders that could do that, and he didn't want too; he and Dart both hit the deck.  
  
"Ooof." The web appeared to hit something, but the grunt wasn't that of Dart or Albert. Rather, it was someone behind them. Albert turned around quickly and realized that someone had been behind them, and now, they had their face caught up in it.  
"Get this damn stuff off of me!" The voice underneath shouted. It was the hooded stranger, Greham he called himself, although Albert didn't believe for a second that that was his real name.  
"Hold still then!" Albert shouted. Dart moved over to assist, pushing both Albert and the hooded stranger off to the side.  
"Dart, cut this." Albert held up some of the webbing so Dart could slice it in two.  
"Using a sword so close when you can't see where web ends and I begin?" The stranger noted.  
"Well, we need to get this off, don't we?" Albert said. "It's not like we have a smaller knife or anything right now. We haven't had time to prepare."  
"I'm aware of that." The stranger remarked. Albert let Dart take care of the webs while Albert kept watch on the rest of his friends and allies. They didn't appear to be doing much damage to the giant spider, but neither did they appear to be getting hurt. That was the best he could hope for right now. That's when Albert turned his attention back to the hooded stranger, and he noticed something. The hooded stranger was not dressed for fighting, or even for traveling. He was not wearing his robe, nor did he have his mace with him. He had probably checked outside the door to see what the commotion was about, and promptly got webbed in the face. There was no way he could run away now. After the webbing was taken off, Albert could see who was behind the hood, and see if he really did know this person.  
  
The hooded stranger gasped a little.  
"Are you alright?" Dart asked.  
"You're cutting it a little close, but I'm fine. Just some old wound acting up." The voice returned. Hints of the stranger's blond hair peaked through the silver white strands.  
"Old wounds?" Albert mused to himself. The stranger did appear to have seen his share of battle scars, although Albert would have never noted it before. There were two rather large scars on his chest. Both appeared to have been made with spears or with some type of thrusting weapon, and both appeared to have gone really deep, and so, they never healed completely correctly.  
"Those two are nasty; you're lucky to be alive after those." Dart echoed Albert's thoughts. Although Albert couldn't see the man's face, he could swear that the stranger had paused.  
"I can...get the rest of this myself." The stranger responded, bending his neck down and using his hands to rid his head of the stuff.  
"Well, we should help." Albert returned. "We're worried about you." The stranger rid himself of a giant clump of the nasty webbing, and now he was completely free of it. He turned towards King Albert, and piercing green eyes locked with the gaze of the King of Serdio. Recognition pierced the King's expression.  
  
"You should...worry more about yourselves then me." Lavitz responded, cocking his head a little sideways to remove the crap that lodged in his ear. 


	9. Queen Fury: A sight for sore eyes

"How is this..." Albert started.   
"Why do you look so shocked? You are aware of Lloyd's return, and must be aware that strange things happens when the Dragoons are necessary." Lavitz replied calmly. He turned towards Dart, who also looked stunned.   
"King Albert, Dart!" Lavitz shouted. "You're staring, have you forgotten the spider?" Lavitz tried to prod them back into reality. At the mention of spider, the snapping of the giant spider seemed to get louder on cue. It helped jar them.   
"Now, I have a plan. Bring Greg and Kongol over here." Lavitz said, ducking into his cabin. Albert moved stealthily and followed Lavitz's instructions, bringing the Giganto and the Wind General. Lavitz came out dressed in the clothes he had kept from the trading caravan; his identity no longer a secret.   
"You Lavitz." Kongol said, dispelling any myths that anyone could have thought of.   
"That I am, but we don't have time for the meet and greet. Greg, hand me your sai." Lavitz instructed. Greg handed over his two weapons, and Lavitz spun them in his hands a little, getting the feel of them.   
"Now, King Albert and Dart, you two distract the monster, and when it's distracted, Kongol, you must throw me on the spider's back." Lavitz responded.   
"Kongol understand. Kongol do it." The Giganto picked up Lavitz while Dart and Albert attacked it on the other side, shoving sword and spear into the creature's legs. As it turned to swat Albert, Kongol moved, throwing Lavitz with surprising accuracy, onto the monster's back. He landed gracefully and inched himself towards the spider's neck; or what passed for a neck on this thing at least.   
"All things have a weakness. When in doubt, go for the eyes. When that doesn't work, stop it from breathing." Lavitz jammed the small fork-like weapons into the back of the neck as far as he could. With a wrench and a squeal, the spider's legs broke out from under him, and the body, as well as Lavitz crashed to the ground. He didn't slash the neck, but he was sure that he cut a nerve in the neck, paralyzing the entire beast. It would die soon enough.   
"I...really...really...hate spiders." Lavitz noted to himself as he pulled the sai out of the spider, trying not to get the nasty blood on his arms. How did something like this get so big? Probably with magic, Lavitz thought. Things just didn't get that nasty on their own.  
  
After cleaning what blood got on his arms and returning Greg's sai to their owner, Lavitz turned to face His Majesty, Albert. The King was still shocked over the revelation, but now, Lavitz supposed there was time for it.   
"How...is this..." Albert stuttered.   
"I think what Kingy Albert is tryin to ask ya how yer back here." Meru seemed to accept the news well, as did Miranda, but that could be expected, he supposed. They hadn't seen his death.   
"I...it's not that easy to explain, and I wouldn't be able to if I had a million years. It's just a miracle; don't we all believe in miracles." Lavitz responded.   
"You're...you're Lavitz. This isn't just some trick." Haschel started.   
"Yes, it's me, Master Haschel. Oh, that's right, I shouldn't call you Master. Your daughter, Claire...in Mayfil, she was happy." Haschel turned ghostly white when Lavitz spoke, but Lavitz could sense that despite Haschel's fear of the mention of his daughter, he wanted the soldier to continue.   
"When I spoke to her, she remembered you with only fondness. She had forgiven you for what you did, so, now, you can forgive yourself, Master." Haschel made no emotional reply, but he nodded slightly and then retired to his cabin without a word.   
"I have also met the First Dragoons, and yes, Rose as well. They are all well, as least as well as can be expected. She told me to tell you...that she enjoyed the journey, even though at times, you may not have thought so."   
"Lavitz...I just..." Dart started.   
"Dart, I haven't had a chance to see her. How is Shana?" Lavitz asked.   
"Well. She's taken to hunting recently. She's gotten better."   
"She is adventurous, and yet, still a woman. An oddity, but certainly two things that go well together."   
"Like me!" Meru shouted. That made Lavitz chuckle.   
"Lavitz, how and why did you come to this world?" Miranda asked. "I know that it may not be a pleasant thing to ask, but this might be important."   
"Aye, I suppose it is." Lavitz responded. "Syuveil, the Jade Dragoon of old, had mentioned something about the whole world stirring. The planet would cry out as if it was in pain."   
"Weather has been unnatural recently, not to mention the rage in the attitudes of forest animals. Could this have to do with the planet itself?" Miranda wondered.   
"Possibly, I wanted to talk with Charle Frahma about it, but she...she was so worried about Horven that I immediately linked up with Lloyd and went to find him. It seems he is taking advantage of this chaos somehow, although I don't think reviving Sandoria was his only objective."   
"He wants to create chaos. With the world in disorder, everyone will be more focused on domestic affairs, which will allow Horven to move nearly unseen. His objective is either the revival of Melbu Frahma or the advent of the Virage of Destruction." Lloyd noted.   
"Neither pleasant." Dart thought. "But why did he let us escape from Sandoria?"   
"I think I know the answer to that." Albert thought. "It was the Dragoons that destroyed his entire world, so he wants to do that to each of us in turn. There is, at least, one other Dragoon; either a person itself or simply a spirit, out there, and Horven wants to destroy us all in one fell swoop. He wants to revive the Winglies domination, and remove all potential threats to his power."   
"But a Dragoon on these islands. He or she was not in the first Dragon Campaign, or else I would have heard about them." Lavitz pondered.   
"Well, a Dragoon spirit is the glimmer that appears at the end of a dragon's life; perhaps it could be said that the crystal itself is life." Albert responded. That made Lavitz pause.  
"So...when a dragon dies, its life becomes that crystal?"   
"That's what I said."   
"I see...so that's how...I rescued a dragon from a torturous torment in Mayfil, and as it faded, a crystal fell from its eye, like a tear. When I held it to my chest, I could swear I felt a heartbeat. Perhaps..." Lavitz started, but a voice promptly interrupted him.   
"Lavitz, you ramble like Syuveil." A voice was heard in every Dragoon's mind. The voice was female, a rather sardonic sort, and unmistakably an old ally.   
"Rose, I never thought I'd hear myself say it was good to hear you again." Lavitz thought, positive that Rose could hear it.   
"My time is brief, so I will be quick. We resisted the call of oblivion after we helped you get to the living world, and now we are back in Mayfil. We've been watching you with the aid of a Wingly known as Savan. Dart can explain who he is." Rose spoke seriously; not that Lavitz knew her to speak any other way.   
"Rose, is there something we should know?"   
"Two things. One, the stirrings of the world have gotten more violent, so more things could be happening that one could not expect. And the second is that I heard a rumor about a dragon that was rumored to be the offspring of Feyrbrand. That may be the Dragoon that you've been hearing about. At first, I just thought it was some myth to dissuade a conquering nation, but now; there may be some merit to these claims. I know nothing more then that."   
"Rose, unsure of something?" Lavitz thought, prodding her.   
"Shut up. Best of luck to you all." And, as quickly as her voice came, it faded.   
"So, there is another..." Lavitz thought. "Did Rose ever tell you of these rumors of another Dragoon."   
"No." Miranda stated. "As we heard her think, it would have been trivial to mention."   
"Well, let's get some sleep. I don't think Horven has any more giant spiders, and if this Dragoon is there, let's be well rested." Dart noted.   
"Well noted. As much as I want to stay up all night and ask Lavitz questions, I need my sleep." Miranda noted. She disappeared to her room. Lavitz moved back to his, but someone grabbed his arm. It was Meru, her eyes large and reflecting the moonlight.   
"I apologize for deceiving you, but I did say I knew King Albert." Lavitz tried to smile. Meru just looked up at him.   
"So, you're Lavitz? Guess I was expectin' fireworks or somethin'. Kingy Al talked an awful lot about ya. I...just don't know what ta say."  
"Talk as you would normally. Or rather, talk later. Let this old man get some sleep." Lavitz noted that he was double her age, and it made her chuckle. She let go and then Lavitz shuffled to his cabin. He was really excited, but soon, eventually dozed off.  
  
And, for the first time since he came back from Mayfli, Lavitz had a good night's sleep.


	10. Ederneum Islands: She who waits

Lavitz awoke with the sunrise, as he tended to ever since he came back, but now, the sun rose mercifully, as Lavitz knew that he would be able to feel the warmth of it upon his face without the hood blocking most of it.

"So, what's this place called?" Lavitz asked.

"It's charted as the Ederneum Islands on this map." Albert responded. "Although I really don't know that much about them."

"I think our ships sometimes stop here in emergencies." Miranda filled in. "But we usually steer clear of it." Why was that? Lavitz wondered. If Rose's hunch was correct, then these islanders were fiercely independent and would have nothing to do with any of the main three kingdoms. Were they like Rouge and simply self-sufficient?

When the town came closer and the group could make out the details, this place was decidedly a town that lived almost exclusively off of the sea. The houses were all constructed of whalebone, and the coverings in between seemed to be stitched kelp or seaweed. Only some wood was present, no metal; metal would sink. The Queen Fury was too large to bring into port, so Commodore Poler lowered a few boats to transport the group to shore.

A crowd had gathered on the beach as the boat made its way to shore. Children were forced behind adults, which immediately made Lavitz suspect that there would be trouble if they went to shore. Although the structure was a little odd. The adult men stood in front of the children, followed by the adult women, who formed a hemi circle around one man, presumably the leader. If they were preparing to attack, wouldn't the women be in the back with the children?

"You worry too much, Lavitz. They probably want to make a good first impression." Albert said cheerfully, probably noticing Lavitz's furrowed brows. He was unbelievably optimistic, Lavitz thought to himself. But we need to find this Dragoon, whoever it is. We need to get to shore, Lavitz thought. But what would happen once the shore was reached?

"You, invaders, who are you!" The man in the center of the women demanded once the party reached the shore. He spoke quickly and forcefully.

"We are not invaders; we are just looking for something."

"We are a simple people; we have nothing you need. No rare herbs grow on this land or anything like that." The man retorted.

"If you are so unassuming, then why does a Dragoon live among you?" Lavitz responded. Gasps from the crowd served the soldier's point even further.

"Dragwhat?" The elder tried to play dumb, but he had obviously not prepared for something like this.

"A Dragoon." Lavitz responded. "They are a powerful being. If you saw one, you'd definitely know he wasn't normal. "Now, I can hear your fellow villagers whispering among themselves. If you want to protect this person, you should have thought things through thoroughly."

"We won't let you have Vilandra! She protects us, and we'll protect her now. To arms!" The women raised an assortment of weapons and prepared to attack while the leader, who seemed to receive his position for his wits and not his strength, pulled back behind them. Most of them were not dangerous: gardening tools for the most part. A few scrimshaw knives that were used to cut fishbone were present, but nothing extremely dangerous.

"You misunderstand. We don't want to fight you; we just want to meet this Vilandra!" Dart said, edging to the front with Lavitz and Lloyd. Albert and Haschel took the two flanks while Miranda took aim in the back, her bow aimed at the closest attacker's right wrist, an incapacitating shot.

A standoff. No one dared move in the lines of warriors, though the children of the villagers scampered off and hid in the bushes. It lasted for a few brutal moments, but then, a loud cry pierced the still air.

"Help!" He wailed. Lavitz tried to look behind the crowd of people, and there he saw a heart-wrenching sight. A large, cat-like beast had grabbed a young boy, who couldn't have been more then nine years old, in his maw, and was preceding the race off into the nearby jungle with his prize.

"Put down that boy!" Lavitz shouted to the uncomprehending beast. He dashed forward, going around the crowd of people, who were either staring at the crowd of foreigners or watching in shock as the cat tried to run off with live prey in its mouth. With a surge of adrenaline, Lavitz caught up and bashed the creature in the head. It growled, but its mouth flew open, and the boy rocketed out, hitting the ground and bouncing twice before resting in an unconscious heap a few feet away.

"My son!" The chief ran towards the boy as Lavitz quickly contended with the cat. The man scooped up the bleeding child and moved quickly into the closest house he could find.

"Let me go there too." Miranda tried to talk to the people. A woman stepped forward, presumably the acting chief since the man was busy. Miranda continued to talk.

"I know magic from a faraway land, and I can help him, if you'll let me." Miranda's tone was kind, and the woman appeared to soften. She instructed the villagers that Miranda could go into the house, as long as she was escorted. The rest would wait on the beach until the crisis was over, then one could think of what to do with him.

Miranda entered the house and didn't exit for a few hours. The sun was beginning to reach high noon at the time, and she looked positively exhausted, although she didn't look magically drained.

"He'll be fine, the wounds are superficial. He's even up and doing chores around the house, despite my objections. We've been welcome into the village, but we all have to stay in separate houses. These people are paranoid. Lavitz, they want you to stay in the Chief's House."

"Alright, you guys make your arrangements, I'll go talk to this guy about meeting this Vilandra, apparently, she's our Dragoon."

"Thank you, Mister..." The boy who had been scooped up by the giant cat cheerfully shouted as Lavitz pulled the door covering, made from hanging kelp, away and entered the Chief's house.

"It was no problem at all, son. I couldn't just have left it like it was."

"What's your name?"

"It's Lavitz."

"Danny, Lavitz must be tired. Why don't you go play outside, you can talk to him later." The Chief instructed his son.

"O-kay." The kid sighed a little and went out the door.

"Now, Mr. Lavitz, we need to know, why are you after Vilandra?" The Chief's wife, a tall and very strong woman with waist length black hair, asked. Lavitz told the story carefully, how what a Dragoon was and what it detailed. He left out the story of the First and Second Dragoon Campaigns, but they were unimportant.

"And so, this Horven Frahma wants to return the Winglies to power. And to stop him, we need to gather all of the Dragoons together. That is why I seek this Vilandra."

"I see. This Horven certainly seems to have an unquenchable thirst of blood. But...without Vilandra..."

"Without? Does she do something for you?"

"Well, the nations of Tiberoa and Mille Seseau have both tried to colonize this area, but we resisted because we don't want to adapt to their lifestyle, so with the name of Vilandra, the Toxic Mist Dragoon, they have always been dissuaded from this place."

"I've never heard of that, but I used to live in Serdio."

"Well, I suppose there is no sense in keeping you away after you saved my son." The Chief responded. "I shall take you to his mother."

"She is..."

"Vilandra has long since abandoned her position as my wife and Danny's mother. She resides up in the mountains, living far away from us. Her name is enough to dissuade diplomatic ships from landing except for extreme emergencies. But, it's grown late. Be our guest tonight, and we'll depart in the morning."

The house was bigger then it appeared on the outside. There were three rooms: Two bedrooms and a central room that doubled as a kitchen and dining room. It was still small, especially when compared to the house Lavitz used to live in with his elderly mother.

"Hey, Mr. Lavitz!" The cheerful voice of the young kid Danny shouted.

"You don't need to call me mister, just Lavitz is fine. I'm not one for all that formality."

"O-kay. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you fight?"

"Why do I...fight? That's a strange question to ask, I just do. Why do you ask?"

"In our village, all boys aren't allowed to fight; only girls can."

"I noticed that earlier today, only the women raised weapons."

"So, why do you?" The kid asked innocently.

"There's no reason why I, or any man, shouldn't. People fight for many different reasons, but one common reason, and it's probably the reason why most of your women fight, is to protect something they care about. Well, just like women, men have things they want to protect too."

"But if that was so easy to understand, why didn't they just let us?"

"The area around this land is a jungle that rises into mountains. Due to the distance of the mountains, it would not be likely that predators came from there, they come from the jungle. Women are thinner, so they can move better in tight areas where there are a lot of trees and thick brush. On the contrary, a man's superior physical strength is needed to catch the large fish that frequent the waters around here. Your people just take something that something excels at, and utilizes its advantages."

"Did you have to become a really strong fighter?"

"No, I chose to. I could've been whatever I wanted, but I chose to be like my father and grandfather. I did not make the wrong choice."

"I hate going with my dad to learn how to fish everyday. He says things like "You'll be happy at dinner when we catch something." I wish I could go on the hunt with Lady Maya, that's my new mommy, cause whenever the other kids and I play, we play in the jungle, and I can move really good in the jungle."

"That's because you're so small. You'll get taller as you grow up."

"I wanna be like you! I wanna be strong and fast and kill anyone who tries to hurt me. WHAM! BOOM!" The kid cheered, recalling Lavitz's single attack against the cat.

"I haven't won all the time you know." Lavitz enjoyed helping people, but he didn't like a fanbase like this. Someone needed to make their own decisions, not just like what they see. If that boy had seen Lavitz's failure to protect his liege when Albert was captured, then he'd know that he wasn't worth undying loyalty like the boy harped upon.

The morning after, Lavitz awoke to the smell of the sea. No matter how long he was on the ocean or near it, the sea breeze always smelled wonderful, even if it made Lavitz ravenously hungry. The group rejoined each other with the Chief outside, near the entrance to the jungle.

"It's a few miles that way, but we should be careful. Not many predators would attack a group of our size, but the terrain may be a little...difficult to pass. Danny, go play in the water, but don't swim out too far now. I'll be back in a few hours."

"I'll stay here!" Meru said exuberantly. "The place might get attacked by those cats again, so someone should be ready for them!"

"True. I'll stay here too, and stop Meru from getting distracted." Haschel chuckled.

"I'm a good girl!"

"When you are paying attention...Meru, stop looking at that butterfly!" Haschel laughed. Kongol too, elected to stay, as he would be too big to move quickly in the jungle if problems arose.

"They are...strange, aren't they?" Lavitz asked. He didn't know any of them that well: Kongol rarely spoke, Haschel spoke little of his personal life, and Meru was too busy asking other questions and getting in trouble to talk a whole lot about herself.

"No more strange then you or me." Dart responded.

"Dart, you are strange." Lavitz chuckled. Dart didn't respond, and followed behind the Chief as he hacked through dense leaves that were wider then Lavitz was tall with a machete.

"So, why does she live so far removed from society? This Vilandra?" Miranda asked. The Chief didn't respond, just continued to hack through the undergrowth.

"What does this mean?" Lavitz thought.

After an hour of trekking through the jungle, the group, finally, reached the base of a mountainside.

"She is up here. Now, we must climb." The Chief responded. Without another word, he grabbed the first rock and started to ascend. His quicker motions suggested that he had made this trek before.

"Well, if she was his husband, it would make sense." Lavitz thought. He followed behind the Chief. The mountain wasn't difficult to traverse, easily done without any pitons or climbing equipment, but Lavitz figured that unless someone knew where they were going, Vilandra would not be found.

"Why would she hide up here, especially if she has a son? Well, I suppose I'd have to ask her." Lavitz thought.

Eventually, the Chief came into a cave. Light form the outside filtered in so torches were not necessary.

"Don't you think someone would prefer a place that's less humid?" Lloyd noted.

"It's a better hiding place then a city." Miranda returned. The Chief went further into the cave, the walls getting narrower and narrower. Eventually, the group had to walk single file.

"It's even more humid back here." Albert noted. Lavitz affirmed, it was much harder to breathe.

"It's a good thing Meru isn't here, she'd probably get claustrophobic." Lavitz thought to himself.

The narrow passages opened up into an open cavern. Relieved to stretch out, Lavitz looked around.

"What kind of cavern is this?" Lloyd asked

"This used to be an underground lake." The Chief responded. "It is here where she waits."

Note: I do apologize for the lateness of this issue. To make a long story short, I do not have much free time over the summer, however paradoxical it sounds.


	11. Ederneum Islands: Arrival of the Storms

"I'm bored!" Meru shouted. She and Haschel were sitting on the beach. The old man was meditating, probably thinking about Claire, but Meru hadn't the patience to do something that quiet and contemplative.

"You're always bored." Haschel muttered. Despite how much he didn't want to say it, he wasn't young anymore. He needed to focus and rest like this more often then usual; to help his reflexes and reactions.

"C'mon old man, let's do somethin'!"

"I am doing something." Haschel responded, trying not to listen to her. Suffice it to say, he was failing.

"But I'm not doin' anything!"

"If you wanted to do something interesting, why didn't you go with Dart?"

"Cause I'm not good with all that diplo...diplo..."

"Diplomacy."

"Yeah, what you said. I'm better off doing something fun while they do the boring talking stuff."

"Well then go find something to do. Go play with the kids." Haschel suggested. Meru darted off to find them. Most of them were in the water.

"Hey kids!" Meru jumped right into the water, turning a complete back flip before landing. The water was surprisingly deep; Meru couldn't even touch the bottom.

"Hey! What's out there!" One of the kids called, pointing out to sea. Meru turned and squinted, trying to make it out. There was something floating in the calm waters, and birds flew above it.

"Hey, Hachy!" Meru called.

"Don't call me that." Haschel responded.

"Whatev. What's floating out there?" Meru pointed. She swam over back to the beach and went towards Haschel as he moved forward towards the water.

"Hmmm...well, I can't rightly say from here, but it looks like those birds are waiting for something."

"What are they waiting for? What kinda birds are they?"

"Wait, I know what they are." A woman's voice called from behind them. It was the Chief's wife.

"Those birds are scavengers. They usually eat fish that die and float." She said.

"So then, what are they waiting for? If it was a fish, why don't they just eat it?" Haschel wondered.

"It's too big to be a fish." The woman said. "Hmm..." She thought a little longer.

"I think I know what they are waiting for...they're waiting for that thing to die." She resolved.

"If it was a big fish or something that wasn't dead, they would go underwater if all those birds were looming.

"Then that means...we gotta get that out of the water, maybe someone from the Queen Fury fell in!" Haschel said. He and Meru quickly ran into the water and swam over to the figure. She was rather far out, which made it an exhausting swim. As the two neared the figure, the birds flew away, their prize had already been claimed, and they didn't have the capabilities to fight.

Meru, as the quicker swimmer, reached the figure first. As she swam closer, Meru noticed that it was a girl, with platinum hair just like hers. She wore no clothing, and hers eyes were shut, her feet twitched every so often to show that she was alive. Wasting no more time, Meru wrapped her arm around the figure's stomach and started to swim back to shore. When Haschel came over, he assisted, taking Meru's position while she pushed the woman's feet from behind. The shore got closer, inching closely. When the shore was finally close enough, the Chief's wife went out to help, dragging the unconscious woman to shore. Once there, another villager wrapped the girl in what appeared to be old sailing rigging to dry her off and at the same time, cover her nude body.

"She was just floating there?" The Chief's wife asked. "No clothes or anything?"

"Nothing." Haschel responded. Meru moved closer to the girl's face, brushing her hair off to the side. Was it someone from the Queen Fury? No, the Queen Fury was a crew of all men minus the little girl Kayla, and this woman was too tall to be her. Meru looked at the face a little closer, and couldn't believe her eyes. Haschel too, looked rather amazed when he saw the unconscious woman, although he didn't share Meru's look of shock. He had already used his when he discovered Lavitz.

Meru's voice cracked as she spoke.

"Lenus?"

"This is such a dank place." Miranda muttered. "I don't know why anyone would come here, much less stay."

"It's probably some kind of test." Lloyd noted. "Only admit the worthy or something like that."

"This was necessary." The Chief responded. "But not in that way."

"Then why?" Lavitz wondered. This was strange that anyone would choose to live here.

"She does await for the arrival of the strongest, but this is not a test." The Chief affirmed.

"But, sir, tell me, why would your wife leave you and your son to live up here in the mountains, it makes little sense to me." Albert responded.

"There is a legend among our people. It would take far too long for me to recite it here, but I can tell you a short story. Do you know the legend of the phoenix?" The Chief asked. Dart shook his head.

"I only know bits and pieces." Albert started. Lavitz too, didn't know the whole thing.

"The phoenix is a mythical bird of fire that lives in brilliance its entire life. It shies away from society as it ages." Lloyd responded.

"That's not completely correct, but it will do for now. For now, it will be sufficient to know that Vilandra, my wife, has always been up here." The Chief moved forward, into the rear of the cavern.

"This place...is it a ruin?" Lavitz wondered, looking at the walls. They appeared to have been walls, evident by the deliberate cuts of the stone."

"Ages ago, this was a small Wingly outpost set inside of this mountain." The Chief narrated. "They were studying the powers of the earth. When their empire ended, this place was forgotten. We have done very little with it, preferring to let be let be." The Chief kept walking through the cavern, the group tentatively walking behind him. Eventually, they reached the rear, which was, surprisingly, furnished. The furnishings were all Wingly in make, with a desk, table, and a small room off to the side that was hidden from view by a hanging curtain. Someone had been living here, someone who had a woman's touch. Probably Vilandra.

"This is where she waits." The Chief went towards the curtain.

"Behind here...my Vilandra."

Meru sat down and waited to see if Lenus would wake up. She had been unconscious since she was found in the sea. Haschel, grateful for Meru's silence, went back to his meditation.

"Hey Kongy!" Meru shouted. "D'ya think anythin's wrong with Lenus? She ain't wakin' up."

"Kongol not doctor." Kongol responded. "Wait for Miranda. She help with magic." Meru said nothing, but suddenly got an idea. Her Dragoon spirit had a little bit of healing power, definitely not as much as Miranda, but it was worth a shot. Grinning, Meru rubbed the deep blue spirit, and felt its power wash over her. She felt embraced in the pull of the ocean, like she did when she was swimming out to Lenus with the currents tugging at her. Soon, the feeling subsided, and Meru was bedecked in wings and armor, the Blue Sea Dragoon.

"Good idea, Meru." Kongol complimented. Meru was all smiles as she bent down and formed a small bit of healing water in her hands. She had to think for a second. Normally when Meru healed, the water would seep into open wounds, healing them as it went along. However, Lenus didn't appear to have any wounds on her. She couldn't make Lenus drink it: She knew that people who were unconscious shouldn't be made to eat or drink anything.

"How should I do this?" Meru thought. "Well, I might as well cover her completely, that'll solve everythin', right?" Without taking another thought, Meru dropped the ball of healing water right on Lenus.

The girl coughed and sputtered.

"What the hell!" She screamed. "How the hell did I get here!" Lenus sprang straight up. "And where are my clothes!" Lenus covered herself again with the sailing rigging she was lying on.

"I did it!" Meru exclaimed. "Umm...you weren't wearin' any clothes when we found ya floatin' in the ocean. You go skinny dippin' and get sucked at by the tide?" Meru wasn't going to bother with the question how Lenus was alive again. It had happened to Lavitz, and he evaded the question entirely.

"Hmph. I don't really know what I was doing in the ocean. One minute I'm...where am I anyway?"

"Ederneum Islands, in the ocean near Mille Seseau."

"Wait, I was just...how?" Lenus thought for a second. "Hmph, well, I suppose I've been revived. Not that this is really any different from bein' dead."

"It is different, everyun's gonna be shocked. Dart and Al, and Lloyd..." Meru started. At the mention of Lloyd, Lenus paled and grabbed Meru by the shoulders.

"He's here!"

"No, well, sorta not. He's away, but he'll be back." Meru started. Lenus jumped up, trying to keep the sailing rigging covering herself.

"I'm going to need clothes, and everything like that. Where can I find some?" She demanded. Meru gave Lenus and extra set of hers for now.

"Boy, won't everyone be excited!"

"She is back here, my Vilandra. She..." the man inhaled deeply. "Is deceased." He finished sadly.

The words took a few seconds to sink in completely.

"Wait, what? She's dead already?" Lavitz wondered.

"Yes. A few years ago, she realized that her power was beginning to wane. She and I made the journey up here, and then we set this entire area up, to wait for the arrival of the other dragoons. She died, with express instructions that once you had proven you were the real powerful Dragoons to me, and then I was to lead you up here. I could tell you were Dragoons from the moment I saw you."

"How?"

"The power of the Dragoon has been passed down from mother to daughter in our village for several centuries. Although it is the women that gain their strength, the Dragoon spirits are so powerful that it has always affected the men the women choose as their husbands. After...marital relations and simply being around that person for so long, the power of the Dragoon stems to both husband and children, some powers weak, others strong. That power stemmed to me, and I have the gift of the Sight, I can see into the future if I choose. I knew who you were and what you wanted to do before you even knew about these islands."

"So tell me, why did you not find another to use the Dragoon Spirit?" Lloyd wondered.

"Although it sounds foolish to say this, I have no daughter to pass it onto. My son is far too young to use this spirit, and I am no warrior. I knew you would be coming, and so, I reasoned that you would take it with you. It will serve you much better. Here." The Chief went behind the curtain and withdrew something from an old, well-worn trunk. It was a dragoon spirit, lime green in color. The sight of it, for some reason, made Lavitz sick to his stomach.

The Chief seemed to notice Lavitz's revulsion.

"It has that effect, whenever someone looks at it, they feel sick initially. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that its power derives from toxins." He handed it to Dart, who wrapped it in cloth and stowed it away.

"Now, we must go. This place is a place that is better off forgotten."

"What will you tell the people?" Miranda asked.

"Nothing yet. It is still far too early." The Chief walked slowly away, as if, despite the tragedy that occurred, leaving was still taboo.

The return trip was significantly shorter then the first one, and when the group returned, Haschel looked like he was anxious for them to return.

"You're not going to believe this, but we found someone floating the sea while you were away."

"Floating in the sea?" Dart asked.

"Yes. The girl was floating in the sea, without a stitch of clothing on her. I believe you'll recognize her. Hey, they're back!" Haschel said mysteriously, then shouted out inside a house. Two platinum haired women came out. One of them was Meru, and the other, although dressed like Meru, was definitely not her.

"Were it three days ago, I'd say this was impossible." Albert noted, looking right at Lavitz.

"Lenus, it is you." Lloyd responded flatly.

"I was wondering when I'd see you again." Lenus responded. "What are you doing with these humans?"

"Cooperating with them to defeat a powerful and unscrupulous Horven Frahma." Lloyd responded. Lavitz was shocked by how business-like they were treating each other. Lloyd had told him about how Lenus had felt about him, so why wasn't their reunion more emotional?

Albert proceeded to fill Lenus in on what happened.

"I don't know anything about that, but Horven's the reason why Lloyd, this blonde dork, and I returned from the world of the dead."

"Lenus is a strong fighter and has powerful magic. I suggest we take her with us." Lloyd told the group.

"It's her decision." Lavitz responded.

"Absolutely not!" Lenus returned. "Lloyd, how can you stoop to the level of working with humans! Horven is making an ideal word of Winglies, that's exactly what you wanted!"

"Lenus, humans are necessary in the idyllic world. Barriers between races like this are exactly what I want to avoid. After all, humans were able to band together and defeat the Winglies when they were at a magically and technologically inferior level, and more or less a divided people." Lloyd noted.

"So what?"

"So they should not be eliminated. Horven Frahma's path is only the path of ruin. It will not be enjoyable to stand on a scorched and ruined planet."

"Please, gimme a break. Humans destroyed countless number of our people and forced us to live more or less in hiding. Our proud people say it is only for safety, but we're too weak to revenge our ancestors. Only through a powerful guy like Horven can we get our revenge and take back our planet."

"Idiot." Greg stated, glaring at her. She glared right back, and Laviz could swear that the air was charged between the two of their faces with tension.

"Horven Frahma only wants to bring ruin, not Paradise. He killed countless people."

"And humans are any better?" Lenus returned. Greg paused; humans had killed other humans and Winglies as well. She had him trapped.

"I'm leaving." Lenus returned. "Lloyd, when you finish playing around, come and find me. I'll be waiting." Her wings appeared from her back, and she flew away, as quick as she could."

"What a ridiculous woman." Lavitz said to himself.

"Don't say that!" Meru returned. "She's just..."

"A racist." Lavitz filled in. "A prejudiced, bigoted racist."

"That's not nice! She has her good points too!" Meru combated.

"That doesn't matter, does it? She's not coming with us."

"I have to side with Lavitz." Miranda said. "Lenus will not cooperate."

"Sorry, Meru, but we can't chase after her; we've got other things to do." Dart responded.

"Like what?" Meru asked, notably angry.

"Like get back to Basil, I sense problems." The Chief, who had been seemingly invisible until Lenus left, now made his presence known.

"Chief?" Haschel wondered.

"Get back there immediately, I can see that the attacks have begun."


	12. Bale: Strategems, and the doting mother

Commodore Poler had to break every record to get back to Donau quickly. The Dragoons didn't even stop to rest until they reached Lohan. If the Chief was right, then there were attacks, made by Horven, presumably.

"Minister Noish, what is the state of affairs." Albert shouted once he entered the castle, not even bothering to shake the dust of his clothes."

"Three days ago, a group of Winglies attacked several parties headed for Neet. They've taken up complete dominance of the southern part of Mille Seseau, almost overnight, it happened so quickly."

"What happened?" Lavitz demanded. Minister Noish stared at him in shock for a second.

"Answer me!" Lavitz insisted.

"Well, these Winglies did hit and run missions to cripple Mille Seseau's army as it mobilized to protect Furni. They attacked with magic from the air. Queen Theresa has ordered the army to retreat and protect Deningrad."

"That's wise." Miranda said. "But we should take the fight straight to the enemy. We have Dragoon powers, they would fall easily."

"I don't think it'll be that easy. We've intercepted plans that state they plan to take over Deningrad tomorrow, you'll never make it before they start their siege."

"A siege won't be that hard to cripple if we attacked from behind them. We can't coordinate with the people of Mille Seseau, but we can create a breach easily. The rest would be the army with Dragoons at the forefront. This doesn't sound too difficult. Lavitz, your opinion?" Albert strategized.

"This isn't my expertise. I don't think a simple breach would work, especially since they would have spies taking to the skies to see us coming."

"A war meeting?" Came a brash, loud, female voice. Everyone turned around to see the fiery Odessa, the woman from Sandoria. "You give me the position of strategist and don't invite me?"

"We just started..." Albert tried to.

"Never mind. There is a siege of Deningrad. Well, I think it's a trap." Odessa swept into the room, all eyes were on her.

"A trap?" Lavitz asked. "Why do you think that?"

"It's a trap because sieges take time. Deningrad has a lot of supplies piled up and they know we're not going to sit back idly while they attack one of the three focal points." Odessa explained. Everyone looked lost

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" Lloyd asked.

"It's quite simple. In a war, one hopes to take the capital and eliminate the leader of your enemy. Elimination of a leader is key to destroying the morale of your enemy. We have three capitals: Deningrad, Bale, and Fletz. They are after the one closest to them."

"But this doesn't explain the whole trap thing."

"It's a trap, stupid; because they know we won't sit around and do nothing while they instigate a siege. My guess is they'll set up siege equipment around the city and bombard it, while a team of commandos infiltrates secretly to assassinate Queen Theresa." She was fierce, and Lavitz caught Greg smiling. He knew this was coming, and he loved to see the shock of the others.

"We have to stop them immediately!" Miranda jumped to her feet

"Patience." Odessa explained. "It's useless for us to worry. I'll send a carrier pigeon with a message to Queen Theresa for her to be on the warning. For now, we must plan on how to pierce the siege. We can't just bombard them directly, that'll be too obvious. We can't move such a large army over water, especially if we have to dock in enemy territory, since Furni is captured."

"Then how would you propose we do this, Miss Genius." Lloyd didn't like her attitude one bit. "In case you're not aware, Meru and I are the only Winglies, and we couldn't possibly carry everyone over water. I'd have a hard enough time moving someone of Dart's weight, let alone Lavitz, and you can forget it with Kongol."

"You saying I'm fat?" Lavitz cracked. Lloyd gave no response, but the smiles on both men's face gave away their joking.

"That's enough." Odessa put an end to their fun with a tongue that was sharp enough to cut steel. "Minister Noish, call the advisors. We must plan. As for you Dragoons, I encourage you to rest. You will be the heart of my plan, I will place a lot of burden on you, and you must be ready to receive it."

"Alright." Greg responded. He knew first hand what it was like not to listen to Odessa, how disasterous that would be, and thus, nearly shoved everyone out of the room.

* * *

"By Soa, she's a bitch." Lavitz noted once they had left the castle.

"I think she and Horven could compete." Dart added.

"That's enough. She's my sister, dammit." Greg silenced them.

"So now what? It's time for dinner, I suppose." Lavitz noted. "We could...no, wait, I suppose we couldn't."

"Lavitz, you have to go home." Dart responded. Albert nodded.

"Wait a minute; you know I can't do that. It would shock my mother..."

"Stop making excuses. Dart told me your mother is the world's best cook, why are you letting a minor technicality like your death stop you from going to see her and getting a good meal before we leave for war?" Lloyd responded

"Asshole. Fine, I suppose you'd force me to go anyway." Lavitz sighed. He had no clue how he'd explain this. The truth was certainly not viable, and his mother could detect falsehoods. There was nothing magical about it, she was just that good.

Dart knocked, and a young man answered the door.

"We're here to see Madame Slambert." Lloyd responded. "We are friends of her son." The man relaxed, and called into the house. Lavitz's mother came forward slowly as the group ushered themselves in. Lavitz stuck towards the back, trying to make himself smaller, although as second tallest in the group, it was difficult.

"May I help you?" The old woman asked.

"Ms. Slambert...Dart started, but wasn't quite sure what to say. Miranda, noting the trouble in tones, decided to solve the problem without words by shoving Lavitz forward. He stumbled and looked back, shooting Miranda a nasty glare. But it was too late, the old woman noted the disturbance and looked, catching the man's eye. Her face went completely pale, and her eyes teared up. Lavitz too, felt himself crying.

"Mom..." He started, but she simply hugged him tightly, as if she never intended to let go. Everyone else was silent.

"I..." Lavitz started, he didn't know what to say. Was she informed of his death?

"It is foolish of me to think I had lost you." Lavitz's mother said out loud. "I thought you were gone, you were gone for so long."

"It was...wasn't it? I'm sorry." Lavitz apologized.

"Now." Ms. Slambert immediately perked up. "What brings off of you here?"

"We can't stay long; we just wanted to see you." Dart responded.

"It's good to see you are doing well." Albert added.

"You're going to war again, aren't you, Lavitz?" Ms. Slambert asked. "I can feel it."

"Yes, mom." Lavitz would spare her harsh details, but he would not lie.

"Then you must eat!" She insisted. "All of you. You can't go fight without eating!"

"That is..." Miranda started to protest, but she was immediately shut up by Meru, who cheered for joy.

Meru went to help Ms. Slambert in the kitchen, while everyone else decided it would be better to stay out and let her work. Lavitz sat on the roof alone for a while, in contemplative thought. He wasn't expecting a homecoming, although he certainly wanted one.

"Lavitz, are you alright?" Dart asked. Dart had sat on this roof with Lavitz a month and an eternity ago.

"I suppose." Lavitz responded. "I just...what was she told?"

"You'd have to ask King Albert." Dart carefully evaded.

"It feels like it's been forever since I've been here. It doesn't feel like home anymore."

"What feels like home?"

"Nowhere. No place, nothing. I feel as though this is tediously extraneous."

"Don't tell me you feel at home on the battlefield."

"That might be true." Lavitz admitted. "Ever since I've come back, the only time I've felt alive is when I did something dangerous. When I fought that emperor, when I fought that giant spider. After you die, life ceases to amaze you with all its quirks and oddities."

"Perhaps you just haven't found it. It took me a while to find what I had searched for. I searched for the Black Monster a long time, only to realize that I didn't know what I wanted to do with it."

"I heard the story. Rose was it, correct?"

"Yeah. I think I cursed her for being the monster. Of course I wanted to kill it, even though I knew it was impossible. So when I knew it was her..."

"You don't need to talk about such things." Lavitz responded. "It was hard enough for any of us to learn that Rose herself was ancient, let alone a demon."

"Hmph." Dart shrugged. "You're not a demon, why aren't you enjoying yourself. Didn't you want to do this." Lavitz didn't know the answer to that question. He did, but now, at this time, like this? Perhaps he wanted it to have been different. But there was a war, apparently. Horven Frahma was calling the nations of Winglies and humans to worry. Countless numbers would die, including Lavitz himself. Times of peace were necessary to sort out affairs, for it was painful to sort them out before leaving for battle, because you just might live, and one just might die. No one wanted to hear someone getting affairs in order for someone not being able to come back. Lavitz sighed, worrying did make this worse. But, as much as he didn't want to worry, he found he just couldn't. Maybe he'd feel better on a full stomach. Lavitz smiled, and thought about more pleasant things, how much he missed his mother's cooking, as he went back into the house.

"After eating so much." Lloyd responded. "I'm surprised we won't get sick. I suppose when food is that good, you don't worry about it."

"I told you that it would be delicious. That's the price you pay for not listening to me." Lavitz responded. Being distracted with the thoughts of his mother's cooking and Lloyd's skepticism that it would be the best ever was putting Lavitz in a better mood.

"There is an inn nearby. That's where we'll stay."

"Nonsense." Lavitz's mother returned. "Ever since that couple Lavitz brought back to me found a home and left, this place is empty. It's too much house for one person. You will all stay here." She issued the order, an order no one would disobey, they were too full to refuse.

"I suppose we can manage." Miranda said.

"There is a bed upstairs, two people can use it." Lavitz referred to his old room.

"It's your room, though."

"And you are guests."

"We are friends and traveling companions." Dart responded. "We don't impose on anyone and they don't for us. We're equals, as we always have been."

"That is why I give it up. The floor is sufficient for a soldier." Lavitz responded. He finally forced Miranda and Meru, as the ladies, to take the bedroom. Although Miranda protested with her eyes at being regulated to "female" status, Meru took it quickly. Miranda capitulated, attributing Lavitz's graciousness to chivalry rather then chauvinism.

Lloyd and Lavitz took the two couches downstairs. They were too small for Lavitz, but they would have been better then the floor. At first, Lavitz insisted that Haschel took the couch, but the old man refused. He wouldn't be catered too, and was fine sleeping on the roof under the stars. That sounded ridiculous, but Haschel just responded that Lavitz should see his hometown of Rouge one day and everything would make sense.

"Do you think Odessa can provide a strategy?" Lloyd asked.

"We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" Lavitz responded semi-crankily. He was ready to go to sleep, and with war tomorrow, Lavitz wanted as much as he could, although he found he couldn't.

"Are you always like this before a war?"

"One must be strong in order to survive a war." Lavitz responded. "The weak-willed lose their minds to fear. The strong man is unafraid."

"The unafraid man is stupid. The strong man is a man who is afraid but doesn't care that he is." Lloyd responded.

"I see you have read books of strategy different from mine."

"Strategy is only strategy. You can plan perfect strategies to be destroyed by the fool, and an imperfect strategy can go without a hitch.

"It seems Lenus didn't give you her best impression."

"An accurate one. I suppose I shouldn't have expected someone so lenient."

"She is a strong fighter."

"That has nothing to do with it." Lavitz returned. "She may even join our enemy."

"I don't think it'll come to that. Rather, I think she'll wait until this ends to make her move. That's a pretty classic move for her."

"The vulture strategy. Picking when your opponent is down." Lavitz responded. He turned over to Lloyd, but found that the Wingly had fallen asleep.

"Pfft, you get to sleep first?" Lavitz thought to himself. Although tense and anxious, he managed to fall asleep.

"The strategy is simple." Odessa had woken them an hour after sunrise. "You will attack them from the interior."

"Oh, is that all?" Lavitz noted sarcastically. "How do you propose we get into the interior."

"Via the teleporter at Ulara, of course!" Odessa responded. "You used it not long ago, and you've forgotten about it already?" Lavitz stood silent.

"This is no time for bickering; this is a time for action. You will all go to Ulara and wait until we send warning via carrier pigeon that the armies are in position. We will simultaneously strike, the army from the outside and the Dragoons from the inside. We will create a breach in their defenses quite easily. While we keep the armies busy, all of the civilians can escape. Then, we will withdraw. If the people are gone, then the Crystal Palace itself means little."

"How will we get to the teleporter, we got there the last time through Gloriano." Meru asked.

"Remember Home of Giganto?" Kongol stated. "Path through there to desert."

"That's right, there is." Miranda responded. "We should leave immediately." She looked to Odessa, who only nodded her approval.

"I will lead the armies." She replied. "You just concentrate on getting to Ulara. You'll probably arrive there before I do."

As they exited, Lavitz seriously felt as though he could win. The woman was strict, and knew her work. She made it sound like war as nothing but a tactic. Even then, Lavitz knew how little he did know. Where did these troops come from? Were there that many Winglies, or were there other disenfranchised races. He supposed he'd know soon enough as they made their way out of Bale.

"Back to the good old battlefield, I guess."


	13. Deningrad: Fake War

Although Lavitz didn't really think about it the last time, now he realized that he really hated deserts. Sand got in his boots and irritated his feet to no end. Last time, it wasn't really a problem because there were no shoes of any kind in the equipment he foun, Charle Frahma had given him the ones he wore now. They may have been much more comfortable then normal ones, but they didn't alleviate the sand problem.

He let Dart take the lead, after all, they had all traveled this path more times then he had. Lavitz himself hung around the back in case creatures came from behind, as they sometimes did.

"These are easy." He thought. He was restless, the thought of war made the adrenaline rush, making him stronger and quicker.

"Lavitz, don't overexert yourself." Miranda responded. "We may not have time to rest in Ulara, as we may have to leave right away." Lavitz knew that, but it didn't really help, he was anxious and battles were not trivial. Animals wanted to eat and would fight to the death if they were that hungry.

Ulara loomed in the distance, but the group stopped at an oasis first. Desert traveling was thirsty work, and they wanted to save all the provisions they can since the Winglies had orchestrated a siege, and good sieges meant no supplies.

Lavitz yawned. Being in the sun for far too long made him sleepy, especially when the sun was unrelenting in the desert.

"Let's get out of the sun." He responded.

"And where would you suggest we do that?" Lloyd asked.

"Ulara, of course."

"Lavitz, Ulara is still an hour away." Haschel responded. "Besides, I'm old, and I need to drink."

"Yeah, I'm tired!" Meru responded. "Let's just take a small break, just a little." She pleaded.

"Fine." Lavitz responded. "But I'm restless."

"We can practice." Dart responded.

"Sounds good to me." The two walked away from the group.

"I don't think we've ever practiced before." Lavitz responded. "You'll find that my style is different then King Albert's, even if we were fighting with the same weapons."

"Come at me." Dart brandished his sword, and Lavitz started moving. He no longer wore the heavy, stocky armor that he used to, but this time, relied on balance and movement, much like Master Haschel. Dart's sword was dangerous, but large and must be swung with both hands. It was easy to dodge.

"Impressive." Dart noted when Lavitz turned a complete aerial to avoid a sword thrust.

"Master Haschel might have fun with that."

"How many times to I have to tell you that it's simply Haschel?" The old man's voice sounded from on a rock. He jumped down between the two of them.

"You sort of move like one from Rouge, but you still use a weapon and not your fists. Come then, see if you can fight me without that." Haschel challenged.

"You're on." Lavitz responded, dropping his mace and shield. The two clashed. Lavitz could parry a few of Haschel's power jabs, but the old man was really quick, and managed to snipe a lot of hits at Lavitz's stomach. Lavitz himself only managed to land one blow, whereas Haschel landed at least ten.

"Okay…that's good." Haschel smiled, satisfied at his point being proven. Lavitz was hunched over and exhausted, while the old man wasn't even breathing fast.

"Not bad for a greenhorn, but you still move far too slow."

"You think Lavitz is slow, Haschel?" Dart asked. "He moved much faster then I could."

"Lavitz can certainly move fast, but he focuses his speed on offense. When it comes to actuallyblocking a punch, he's as slow as the next. Throwing out punches, even if they are fast, are easy to read to those who can see the slight motions of your arms."

"Thanks for the lesson. I'll have to work harder to beat you."

"Boy, it would take you years to beat me." Haschel laughed. "I could take all of you."

"Is that a challenge?" Lavitz asked. "Cause I think Dart and I together could beat you."

"Fair challenges, boy, 2 on 1 ain't fair. Now, we should head back. I hope that cured your restlessness." Lavitz gathered his equipment and returned to the oasis site, getting a long drink.  
"I suppose that's something to strive for, beating Haschel in a fistfight." Lavitz thought. He collapsed by the oasis, grateful to rest.

"And I thought you wanted to move quickly." Lloyd sniped. Lavitz ignored him.

After a few more minutes, they started back towards Ulara. The trip was uneventful, as most of the deserts denizens were nocturnal creatures. Ulara itself was unchanged, much as it had been for 11,000 years. They decided to go immediately to see Charle Frahma. Odessa had probably sent a carrier pigeon already to her.

"I had received word. It seems my dear Horven was not as pleasant as I thought he would." Charle said with a heavy heart.

"I had hoped so, but he seems to have a certain bloodlust that needs to be satisfied only by killing humans. He attacked us also with some giant spider type thing." Lavitz informed.

"I see. Well, I wish it didn't have to come to this, but if you must, please stop him."

"We'll try our best to convince him of what's right before the end." Albert promised. "But we need to wait here until we receive our plans to move. We can't lose Deningrad."

"Yes, you are always welcome here. Please, relax and enjoy yourselves, it's starting to get late anyway." Charle responded. With a bow, the Dragoons left.

Ulara by moonlight was rather sublime. The silvery light cast delicate shadows, and the flowers themselves seemed to grow and flourish with this and not sunlight. Lavitz decided to stroll the streets, never getting a chance to do this before. If Donau was the most beautiful place in the human world, it was put to shame by Ulara at night. The others went to have a few drinks, except for Meru. She walked with the soldier.

"Ummm…why didn't ya tell us you were Lavitz?" She asked.

"That is a complicated question, and I don't think my answer will be satisfactory. But, I suppose you could say because I wanted to do this by myself. Charle asked me to. If I had told you I was Lavitz, do you think Dart or King Albert would let me go off on my own?"

"You coulda told me! I woulda kept the secret!" Meru shouted.

"Somehow, I just can't believe that. You did blab about Lloyd." Lavitz reminded. Meru didn't respond. She would have thought of something, like blaming it on Miranda, who also knew about Lloyd, but Lavitz would see right through that.

"But…" She started, but stopped. She really didn't know where she was going. "Isn't this place nice?" She said. "It's one of my most favorite places."

"I like it too. It's so…I don't know the word, but it's detached from the chaos that was the world. This war, Horven, and everything. None of it exists here." Lavitz leaned against the border of a rose garden.

"Do you think the fighting is going to keep going on? I don't like fighting like this."

"Don't worry, that's why we're here, to put a stop to it before it gets worse."

"But you like fighting!" Meru protested.

"Meru, when have I ever said I like fighting?"

"You and Dart were talking on the roof; you said you felt at home fighting."

"You were spying on us?" Lavitz scowled. In retrospect, that shouldn't have surprised him.

"I'm sorry, you were just…" Meru was a lot quieter know when Lavitz was angry with her. Immediately, he softened.

"Never mind. Listen, fighting is just something we all have to do. That's the point of being a Dragoon. We have to fight for what we believe in. Men, women, human, Wingly, all of us. We pick what's important and fight for it. My philosophy is that if you must do it, you might as well force yourself to enjoy it."

"It'll be hard, but you're right. I'm just makin' everyone all gloomy. Let's do our best."

The next day, the carrier pigeon arrived. Lavitz was immediately ready; however, Odessa mentioned that they should strike at high noon. The guards, she responded, will be soon ready to switch positions, and as such, will be bored with a constant waiting and nearly asleep. It would be the easiest time to strike.

"Alright then, let's get ready." Lavitz said. The nods from the crowd affirmed it. Everyone was ready to rescue a city.

"Here was the thing I was looking for. That sense of purpose and elation." He thought.

Albert had been discussing with Charle the turmoil of the world and what they were caused by. Charle believed that in addition to the Moon Child, Horven was trying to do some extremely powerful, world-altering magic, and the planet was resisting the changes it would cause. Although Charle needed some more knowledge on what exactly the spell was, she would give word as soon as she could. There were no spells that existed on the planet that Charle did not know.

When Albert reported his findings, Lavitz found it interesting, but ultimately not as important.

"We should worry more about matters at hand." He insisted. "Let's worry about that later." He brushed it off. Later, he thought he shouldn't have been so abrasive. But there was no changing the past.

"Shall we go then?" Miranda responded. "It's just about noon." She was probably more eager then Lavitz to go, but the reasons were obvious on her part.

"I'm ready." Lloyd responded. Everyone else nodded. They all filed into the teleporter, clutched hands, and stepped through.

* * *

The sounds of battle immediately assaulted their senses. 

"Keep your heads up." Lavitz responded. They had teleported into the center of the city, but the sounds of battle raged everywhere.

"This is awkward…" He thought. Odessa mentioned that it was a siege. There wouldn't be that many troops inside the city, and they certainly wouldn't be waging war. Odessa must have attacked too early, and so, they entered the city hoping to finish their objective.

Meru and Dart immediately charged south towards the gate into the first brigade, while Miranda provided cover. It looked like she was hoping to get to higher ground, but there wasn't any easily accessible.

Lavitz turned to the soldiers inside the city. Most of the Winglies were on the ground; their magic must not have been powerful enough to simply do bombardments from the air. He started into the fray, ferociously blocking the Wingly swords and countering with a sharp head smash. They weren't wearing much head protection, so the blows were, at the very least, extremely debilitating. Lloyd flanked Lavitz, and expertly twisted and slashed with his saber at the enemies.

"For soldiers, they are extremely disorganized." Lloyd mentioned as he parried. This was no time for small talk, but Lavitz noticed that Lloyd was right. They had all the ferocity of real warriors, but they were organized like a hunting party, effectively just small bands of troops sticking together.

"I wasn't expecting this." He thought. "Are the real fighters all outside?"

During the chaos, the group managed to get back together and fall back near the library. A couple of Holy Knights had held the gate, and relatively few Winglies had tried to get inside.

"Kongol confused." The lumbering Giganto stated. "This not army."

"I have no clue what this is." Greg confirmed the feelings of everyone else. This wasn't a battle the Winglies were ready to fight. Were their massive armies, the one they sued to subdue Deningrad, just an illusion? All bark and no bite?

"This doesn't make any sense. Captain, is Queen Theresa…" Miranda started.

"Queen Theresa is fine; I've just received word from inside the castle. There is nothing going on there at all." The soldier responded.

After about fifteen more minutes of fighting at the gates, there were no Winglies left inside the city, and about five minutes afterwards, Odessa, as well as high ranking generals in all three armies, entered on horses.

"I wouldn't get off guard yet." She responded. "I think this was simply a pre-test."

"It seems that someone here is attentive. Very good, half-breed. You do the Wingly side of you proud. Now, if only you weren't poisoned by being a wretched human, you would be an ideal woman." A being, obviously Wingly and brimming with magic, phased in, hovering slightly in the air. A few other Winglies phased into being behind him. Four in total, all dressed in black, none of them looked pleasant.

"Horven Frahma, is this your doing?" Dart asked. Lavitz paused; the dictator's son was not among this group of people.

"He is doing important things for our race, and can't be bothered with a simple castle-taking." The lead man responded. Lavitz couldn't really see the difference between Winglies, but this one was easy, the one who was talking was the only one wearing a helmet.

"If this is your ability." Miranda responded, ready to let loose with an arrow. "Then you'd best surrender now. We've repelled your pathetic onslaught."

"Our armistice terms will not be harsh if you accept them now." Greg warned. He looked like he wanted to put an end to the fighting, as per his father's wishes.

"We weren't here to take this palace. You've just eliminated some of our weaker, pathetic excuses for soldiers. We just wanted to get your attention, and to see the strength of you Dragoons for ourselves. I'm disappointed, I didn't see all of you transform into your superior selves." Helmet Man responded.

"Why should we waste it?"Odessa responded, standing in front of everyone, taking charge. "You've proven yourselves grossly incompetent. It seems I'll have to smack your asses around before you listen."

Lavitz moved up next to her. "So, do you want to see some power?" He taunted.

"Such is the nature of fools." Lloyd responded. Lavitz didn't know whether he was talking about the flying soldiers or Lavitz himself he didn't know, not that it mattered.

"Is that so, you think us fools? Do you want to see some power?" One of the others, the only one among the four of them that was a woman, asked, reversing Lavitz's question as if it was a dare.

"There is nothing that you can show me that would amaze me." Lavitz countered.

"I'm not here to impress and amaze you; I asked if you want to see power. I'll take that as a yes, though." She nodded, but nothing happened.

"She didn't do anything." Meru shouted, and a few of the group couldn't help but smile. To have Meru say it was certainly something.

A second later, Lavitz felt something in his chest.

"Are you alright?" Dart asked. "You look pale."

"Huh?" Lavitz returned. "I…" He wanted to start by saying he was fine, but all of a sudden, he felt like he was on fire. He looked down to see something shiny and metal, a light dagger balanced for throwing, sticking out of his chest.

"Are you impressed? You probably didn't even see that. And there is a hidden surprise in that. Are you afraid to die?" She asked Lavitz, who would have scoffed at the iron had he heard her.

"Dammit." He thought. The burning sensation despite the fact that the wound wasn't deep, and the weakness in his legs, this was obviously some type of poison. He tried to mouth out something to Dart, but he couldn't get anything out. The pain in his whole body ignited even further.

Silently, without so much as a gurgle, Lavitz dropped to his knees as the four Winglies, having sufficiently outlined their triumph, faded from view.

Lavitz thought he heard Odessa call for a medic. He thought he heard Haschel or Albert tell Miranda to use her magic. Not that she would need to be told. But he only thought he heard it, because he really couldn't tell. His ears, like the rest of his body, had no feeling, didn't feel like they were functioning.

He held on for a few agonizing seconds, although those few seconds were far too long. Then, Lavitz couldn't feel anything.

"Is this…" He thought. This wasn't like the last time he died. The last time, it burned right till the end, but this time, Lavitz just felt…nothing. A cold, bitter nothing. A thousand times worse then the first time.


	14. Interlude: Recovery

"Don't die, Lavitz!" Meru shouted. The Winglies had all but departed, and now, the group could tend to an extremely pressing issue without hindrance. Miranda had bent over him with her White Silver Dragoon spirit, attempting to channel its power through Lavitz's North Star spirit. However, it didn't appear to work.

"Let's get him inside." Odessa responded. "Our doctors can look at it there." Albert nodded, and so, he and Kongol carefully moved the unconscious soldier into the nearby inn.

"Let me try again with my magic." Miranda transformed into the White Silver Dragoon and lay her hands upon him. The wound in his chest closed up, and the discoloration faded, but after Miranda removed her hand, the disgusting purple and green color that was the poison centered around where the knife had entered his flesh, although there was no gaping wound.

"They crafted this poison knowing that the healing magic of the White Silver Dragoon was in our hands. It is a marvel of alchemy." Greg responded. "Of course, it's a horrible marvel, but I think all our magic can do is offer temporary reprieve."

"Lavitz…" Albert bit his lip and cursed that; once again, he could not protect his friend, even though it had always been Lavitz's duty to fight to the death for his king.

"What do we do? We can't just leave him like this!" Greg voiced the concerns of everyone present.

"Unfortunately, I do not know." Odessa responded. "I can get a little bit of this poison through a needle, but unless someone looks at it and can determine how we can counteract it, we can do nothing. And this is a new poison; we may not have an antitoxin in months." Her realism was not helpful, but pretending that everything would be alright in a couple of days wouldn't help.

"Do you think Charle would know what to do?" Dart asked. It was as good a guess as any.

"I have sent a message to her already." Odessa responded. Everyone looked relieved at her planning. "For now, you Dragoons use your magic and stop his condition from deteriorating. I will go speak to the troops and see what I can learn about these strange Wingly generals." She left quickly, her advisors hot on her heels.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Lavitz." Albert said out loud. There was no sense in him grieving to himself. Even though Lavitz was not dead, this was just like losing him the last time.

"Hey now!" Meru tried to cheer up. "I'm sad too, more sad then anyone, but Lavitz wouldn't want us cryin' over him. He'd be all like…" And Meru altered her voice to sound lower pitched and deep like Lavitz. "You worry all about the stupid things. I'm fine so deal with the strange guys." Meru trying to imitate Lavitz made everyone, even Kongol, just lose it.

"Heh…heh…be serious." Miranda tried to compose herself.

Charle entered about fifteen minutes later, and, without even a greeing to anyone, walked straight over to Lavitz. Urgency was more on her mind then politeness. She probed his skin several times with something that appeared to be a gardening tool, but who knew what enchantments lay in the things Charle carried.

"Charle?" Lloyd asked.

"As I figured, and feared. It's an organic compound stitched from many different poisons. It's a horrible thing that Horven once made, and I thought I destroyed it."

"How can we cure it?" Lloyd was rather insistent.

"And to think, you once killed him…" Haschel kept to himself.

"Lavitz would go to the ends of the earth for us." Albert responded. "I would do double for him. What do we need to do?"

"This is the first stage of the contagion, and there is nothing we can do right now. I can administer a treatment in twenty four hours. However, I will need some help creating it."

"I've dabbled in some of that before, I will do it." Lloyd responded.

"I should first tell you that what I'll create is only a treatment, and not an antitoxin. It's only a temporary solution until we make the real thing."

"Alright, how do we make the real antitoxin?" Albert asked.

"That will take days, and many precise techniques. I don't think any of you could try to make it, so I must do it by myself. For now, you need to make sure Lavitz's condition does not worsen. He won't be conscious for the duration, and when I administer my treatment, he won't be much better." Charle explained.

* * *

"Jeez, Lavitz…" Albert took the first watch. "I know you're tough, and you should pull through this…but the fact that I could lose you again." Albert knew Lavitz would not respond back, but it was good just to hear himself say it. Lavitz had done something that Albert could never hope to repay.

He sighed. Lavitz's condition did not appear to be worsening, although Albert was positive that things weren't getting better. The sickly, gross, off-purplish color of the poison had spidered throughout his body as the poison traveled through the blood. Every so often, Lavitz gasped as if he couldn't breathe, and the poor soldier was awful covered in sweat. Albert knew that he was a patient person: Lavitz had often spoken of the merits of patience back before all of this happened. But Albert was so anxious to help his friend in any way that he would have halted time.

Lavitz's North Star spirit, which he wore as a medallion, glew softly, as if it was listening to Albert think. Unsure of what to do, Albert held up his own spirit, which responded with a short flash of pale green light. After the green flash subsided, the King wasn't sure what happened, but Lavitz's breathing had gotten a bit steadier, and he was no longer sweating as profusely. Perhaps it helped a little? It got Albert out of his depressed mood. Even if it was only a little, he alleviated Lavitz's suffering. That was something the King always wanted to do.

The next twenty four hours passed slowly. Miranda, as the most capable healer, worked triple the amount of shifts as the others just in case something happened. Lloyd was the only one who didn't do one, but that was because he and Charle were working on the treatment. Albert didn't see what they were working on, but he sure as hell smelled it. It made him gag, but, as Minister Noish always said, the treatment is half as bad as the ailment.

Meru sat idly outside the inn. It was Dart's turn to take watch, but she was next. Once he exited the room, Meru came over to him. In her heart, she wanted to pull a prank, just so everyone would cheer up, but she really didn't feel like it right now.

'Things seem fine now. Charle and Lloyd have finished their treatments. Go on in." Dart responded. He looked exhausted from no sleep, not that Meru had had any either. First a battle, then this, she was trudging along, her feet dragging against the ground.

When she first came in and saw Lavitz, the first thing that came to Meru's mind was that he looked weird. He still looked like Lavitz, but most of his skin was a sickly purplish color, as if he was covered in contused bruises. His Dragoon spirit was also glowing. Albert had mentioned that it started glowing faintlywhile he was on watch about twelve hours ago, but now it was glowing radiantly. The light blue was so bright, even the color in the room, from Lloyd's black vest to Lavitz's golden hair, seemed to be paler imitations of themselves.

"This is weird." She thought. "What's going on with the spirit?"

"Dragoon spirits have a tendency to expel toxins and other foreign agents. The White Silver simply does it better then any of the others." Charle explained. "Lavitz's own spirit is trying, vainly to keep purifying himself, keeping him alive. But now my treatment is ready. He'll steadily get better until I create the real treatment. Leave this to me and Lloyd. You go get some sleep." Although Meru would have liked to stay, she was far too tired to argue.

* * *

The next day, the gloomy spirits were lifted. The citizens of Deningrad were continuing to reconstruct their town, which had never been completely revitalized after the Divine Dragon attack. The mood of the Dragoons themselves were only slightly more elated at first, but once they had all woken up, Lloyd delivered amazing news. Lavitz was conscious! He was still very weak and needed to rest. But he was at least awake, which was a surefire sign that he was recovering. Meru sprinted to see him, not even bothering to finish the veritable feast placed before her.

"Heh, she snoozed." Haschel said with a smile as he took Meru's plate of food and added it to his own. "I'm smart enough to know that I don't leave unguarded food around me." Dart snickered, but he understood Meru's emotions completely. He would have sprinted too to see his friend, but he had barely started into breakfast, and if he left even just to go to the bathroom, Kongol or Haschel would have swiped it.

"Lavitz!" Meru was so excited, she didn't open doors with the doorknobs, she just crashed into them. When she got to Lavitz's room, she cheered up. Lavitz was sitting up, a blanket wrapped around his lower half. His Dragoon spirit had stopped glowing, and the pendant he wore it around was sitting on a table beside him. Lavitz turned his head and gave no reply to Meru, but he smiled.

"Lavitz!" She screamed, jumping over to him and constricting him in her embrace.

"Meru…I can't…I can't." Lavitz heaved. His voice sounded coarse and heavy.

"Meru, you're turning Lavitz's face blue." Lloyd noted. He looked like he was about ready to turn in; he'd been awake for such a long time. Meru did let go, causing Lavitz to gasp and breathe deeply.

"King Albert and Sister Miranda have gone to gather the ingredients I need for the antidote." Charle responded. She and Lloyd exited the room to finally get the sleep they deserved.

"Are you okay?" Meru asked. "I mean, I know you're okay, you're stronger then me."

"I thought you were the strongest person." Lavitz chuckled.

"Well, I'm second strongest. No one's stronger then Lavi! I'm gonna start calling you Lavi!" That made Lavitz laugh, but he started coughing.

"Sorry, I'm still…not well, am I?" he asked.

"No, that's what everyone else is going to do. But it's just you and me here now! Let's have some fun!"

"Unfortunately." Lavitz coughed again. "I don't feel so good. Hey, hand me my things." Meru passed him a new white shirt, since his old one had a knife rip in it, and his Dragoon spirit.

"Good." Lavitz slipped them on. "They could even strike at any time. Even if I'm poisoned, I'd still have to fight."

"But you could die if you do that!" Meru protested. "If they come back, you could die!" She was very serious, and Lavitz actually smiled.

"It wouldn't be the first time." She slapped him.

"You meanie! If you died, everyone would be sad!"

"War claims lives no matters whose side it's on. To the enemy, I'm no better then a mass-murderer. I might even be worse, because I justify my actions with a reason they believe is stupid. We could all die tomorrow, and it was the same way in the Second Dragon Campaign. You know that."

"But…but…it was okay because we were all together. C'mon, Lavi. Everyone was so sad when you were sick. Especially 'Randa. Oops, I didn't say anything!" Meru blushed. "Randa told me not to say anything."

Lavitz smiled again.

* * *

The next few days weren't nearly as trying. Although Lavitz was completely bedridden, coughed often, and ate practically nothing, everyone was glad to see him moving again. Lavitz protested constantly that he didn't want to be waited on hand and foot, which caused Albert to chuckle. When the King was young, he would often say the same lines when he was sick.

On the fourth day after he woke up, Lloyd came into the room. This had been the first time Lavitz had seen him, and immediately, the soldier was handed a tumbler with an extremely awful-looking thick stew-like drink inside.

"It's a medicine. Drink it." Lloyd said.

"Is this it?"

"Yeah. Come on." Lavitz peered into the cup.

"It's smells like sun-dried vomit."

"It's the only thing for what ails you."

"Stop reminding me." Lavitz sighed. He pinched his nose and tried to chug it. It tasted better then it smelled, but that was hardly a consolation. It went down like molasses, but it wasn't nearly as sweet.

Lavitz smiled after he finished.

"I feel better already."

"To tell you the truth, I knew about the recipe. It was made by my mother as a cure-all. Suffice it to say, we found ways to get around being sick."

"That's interesting to know."

"Of course, it was different. This one was more potent. Because the ingredients were all raw and fresh!"

The color drained from Lavitz's face.

"Uhhh…what was raw and fresh?"

"What makes you think I'll tell you." Lloyd cracked a grin. "Listen, I talked to Meru before. She says you're like a father to her, so stop doing stupid things like provoking enemy generals."

"Hmph. We know what they'll do now. I suppose next time, I will be more careful." Lloyd helped Lavitz to his feet. The soldier felt a little dizzy, but nothing else happened.

"Charle has left. She said she didn't to see the after effects of the medicine." Lloyd responded.

"After effects." Lavitz responded. Lloyd handed him a large, deep pot used for refuse.

Immediately, Lavitz's stomach started turning backflips…


	15. Wingly Forest: Take out one thorn

"Lavitz you look…a lot thinner." Haschel responded when Lavitz was finally able enough. The soldier shot him a scowl, but otherwise said nothing.

"It's a good thing you are able, Lavitz." Odessa responded. "Because now, it's time for us to take the fight to them. My scouts report that they retreated into Wingly Forest."

"Momma! Papa!" Meru shouted. Odessa ignored her, and continued.

"I haven't seen many Winglies come out of the forest, so it stands to reason that they are either supporting their regime."

"They would never do that!" Meru shouted.

"Do you ever shut up?" Odessa demanded, with such fire that it made Meru nearly afraid.

"Or they are held prisoner there. That would be logical, as they could understand the forest better then the humans could."

"How do we attack?" Lavitz asked. "Moving all of our men into the forest would create problems, there are just too many."

"Yes, that is why you Dragoons are going solo. Sneak in, fell the leader, and that will plunge them into discord long enough for us to attack and take them out."

"You make it sound easy." Miranda stated. "It won't be."

"Of course it won't. But you know as well as I do that it would be the best method of attack." Miranda grumbled, and Lavitz only nodded. Bringing their troops into the Evergreen Forest, which was almost like a ravine, would make them easy prey.

An hour later, Lavitz was ready to go. At first, Dart had suggested Lavitz stay behind: he had to rest and recover.

"I'm fine." Lavitz reiterated like a mantra. "Stop worrying about this, I've had worse." Saying that caused Meru to get mad and slap him like she had done before. Lavitz rubbed his face and wondered why she was like that: it was just a joke; he was planning on doing as little dying as possible. But it didn't mean he was afraid of it.

The forest looked far too calm, although footprints suggested that someone or a group of people had passed by here recently. It fit Odessa's statement about them hiding in the forest. Meru led the way, having taken this path several times before. The entrance to the Forest of Winglies was shut, but it was opened fairly easily.

"That's odd." Miranda expressed her doubts to the group. "Wouldn't they have sealed it?"

"The Ancestor probably left it open for us to get in. He's smart, so he knows everything!" Meru figured. Lavitz accepted that reasoning, although he had never met this "ancestor" person before. Nevertheless, he advised caution as he entered.

The forest itself was not spectacular after seeing Ulara, but it was still pretty nice. Lavitz expected to see war-weary people around, but he forgot he had been out for a few days and that wouldn't be the case.

"Invaders!" Someone shouted.

"So much for sneaking in silently…" Lavitz moaned as he stepped back into battle position. Miranda scoured the sky, her bow drawn, ready to fire at the first thing she saw. They had not turned into Dragoons yet, but a few Winglies could be handled easily enough.

The soldiers came a few minutes later. All bedecked in black, they chose to hover and fire small balls of fire like arrows.

"Scatter!" Lavitz shouted. Only Miranda could hit them from there.

"Time for a little payback for that injury." Lavitz thought as he rubbed the Dragoon spirit. Once he became the spirit, he immediately charged through the air, using his force to torpedo into the first one. The second one was close by, and before he could react to dart away, Lavitz smashed into him with his mace.

"Taking it up a little, are we?" Lloyd asked, hovering beside him in Dark Dragoon form.

"I've been out of it for days. I can't help it. When I saw them, I remembered how I could have been killed and I just let my instincts take over."

"I'll not chide you now, but watch it. We're supposed to be removing the insane one, not genocide." Lavitz immediately calmed down. Such bloodthirstyness was disgraceful. Being passionate about working was one thing, but not when it was about killing. Killing should never get him so excited.

All the Winglies that Lavitz encountered were hostile. If there were prisoners, Lavitz didn't see any, although hew wasn't actively looking. He could leave that to Meru, who would at the very least have a general idea of where they were kept. He went up as high as he could, to find these leaders. He wanted to get them before they had a chance to retreat.

After entering some more of those weird channel things, Lavitz made it to the top. The others filled in behind him. Sitting on what would appear to be a throne of sorts was the woman general who had stabbed Lavitz with the poison knife.

"So, it seems you have survived."

"Yes, I did. Care to see if you will be so lucky?" Lavitz answered.

"Fool! I will survive because I'm superior. It doesn't matter how strong a Dragon is, you are only humans!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Lavitz wrote off her arrogance. "And take a look, you superior Winglies have fallen. And I'm not even tired. Let's go, you little bitch, I think I owe you a debt of pain." Lavitz stepped forward. He was no longer transformed as the Dragoon; because he was sure he would not need it.

They clashed. Although the woman had used daggers previously, this time she used a heavy warhammer. It was bad for her, because those were supposed to be used mounted. It didn't take long at all for Lavitz to get the upper hand. He quickly disarmed her.  
"We won't ask nicely again." Greg stated from the back. "Where is Horven Frahma?"

"He can't be bothered by you cretins. I'll make sure you cannot stop him; he is too great for such lowly things as you. We conquered you in the past, and we'll do it again. All shall bow before our might!"

"By Soa, you sure like to hear yourself talk." Lavitz said. His hands were aching with bloodlust, and the sight of this woman was just aggravating him. "I think there's little need for words."

"Let the lowly mongrels fight. My victory is assured for I am a pure Wingly!" Her grandiosity was really getting on his nerves. Lavitz decided talking would just make him little to her annoying voice some more, so he just decided to step forward.

"Lloyd, give me your sword." He said calmly, and with an edge of frightening calmness. Rather then pointlessly argue, he handed it to him, but he shot Lavitz a glare, a glare that told him "think about what you're doing."

Lavitz ignored it. He did know what he was doing after all. The Wingly woman general was on her knees, her face in a mask of defiance. How standard, and typical.

"Farewell." Lavitz said with an edge, and raised the sword to decapitate her in one swift stroke.

"No!" Meru shouted, grabbing Lavitz's arm.

"Meru…get off of me!" He glared.

"Don't just kill her like this, please!" She pleaded.

"Meru…" Her eyes shocked him. Large and tear-filled, she was about to cry. Lavitz didn't think Meru really cried.

"You…you know as well as I do what would happen if I didn't." He tried, rather clumsily, to justify. Clumsy in the fashion that he stuttered.

"If…if I let her live, then she'd escape, and learn from the mistakes she made here. She'd be more formidable."

"It doesn't matter! She's not the bad guy!" Meru pleaded still, not letting go of his arm. Lavitz was a lot bigger then her, he could probably break her in a bear hug. And here she was, pleading with him. She should really know better.

"In battle, being too merciful can be your undoing." Greg responded wisely. But he did not tell Meru she was wrong. Rather, he and Dart gave Lavitz strange looks too.

"What is so bad? She'll just cause a lot more trouble."

"Eugh, fine." He tossed the sword back to Lloyd, who expertly caught it. Meru finally let go of his arm.

"Take her prisoner." Lavitz sighed, "and if she so much as gives the slightest inkling of escape, kill her."

Back in Deningrad, attitudes were tense. Lavitz was pissed off, and so, he had to expend his pent up rage.

"How could she do that?" He wondered. She knew exactly what that woman was capable of and still didn't let Lavitz finish the deed. Didn't she care that that woman nearly killed him?

Haschel had shown up, and so, Lavitz decided to fistfight with him, just to work out his aggression. The Master easily countered Lavitz's strikes at first, saying something about "clumsy, rage-blind attacks."

Eventually, Lavitz's inability to break Master Haschel's guard caused him to stop.

"You're too blind." Haschel said. "If you ever hope to scratch me, you'll need to stop thinking and just feel the motion." Lavitz thought it made no sense, not thinking in fights is what led to senseless slaughter.

"Horven and the rest of those generals were not among the dead." Odessa replied to Lavitz when she had gathered everyone together. "That means they had moved while Lavitz was out of it."

"Well, we couldn't very well have left him to die." Miranda responded. "Let's just focus on our next objective. Where did they run off too?"

"I'm not sure." The strategist responded, and that threw Lavitz off guard. He didn't expect her to say something she didn't know. "The spies will inform us when they find something, until then, we have little to do but rest, prepare ourselves, and make sure we're not caught taunting enemies to attack us." She glared at Lavitz.

"Is it just me, or am I getting the evil eye a lot?" Lavitz mused aloud once she had left.

"Think about it." Miranda replied. "You brutalized the enemy left and right, there were few left to interrogate. We're stumbling around blind because of your bloodlust. Experienced soldiers should know better."

"Like a knife to the heart…" Lavitz muttered to himself.

"Randa!" Meru was shocked. "C'mon, let's not be all like that! Let's put our heads together and think."

"No use arguing past. Past gone, not change." Kongol noted.

"Strategizing like this…I'm not that good at it." Haschel noted. "My brain is not what it used to be. I'm going out for a walk."

"I'll go too, there's no sense in me mucking things up anymore." Lavitz responded.

Rather then take a walk, the two men immediately got into another sparring match. Lavitz wanted to work out the anger in his system. Haschel, again, parried expertly.

"Here." Haschel tossed Lavitz a white thin bandana.

"My hair is too short for this."

"Tie it over your eyes." He instructed. "You're not going to get anywhere by watching me." Lavitz complied, even though he thought it strange, and they started again. Immediately after doing it, it seemed to work. He could feel gusts of wind from Haschel's movements, and could counter more appropriately.

"I was right." Haschel responded after Lavitz had turned a backflip to avoid a punch, then countered with a dashing forward palm heel that narrowly clipped Haschel's neck. "You could be really good at Rouge marital arts. When this is over, you and Kongol will have to train harder."

"Kongol's doing it too?"

"Well, yes. He's not bad, but he's so big he's got a lot to work against. But you, you have something else to work against. Like my Claire, you have too many murderous intentions in your fist. This is an art of defense, to preserve, not to kill."

Lavitz paused, he knew Haschel was right.

"Fighting to protect does not excuse killing." Haschel stole the thoughts from Lavitz's head. "To kill, even an enemy, does not protect life."

Lavitz paused again. He was acting ridiculously. How could he let something like that get to him so? He had died once, he should know, more then anyone, that it wouldn't be pleasant for anyone; even enemies should not be subjected to it.

"Perhaps I'm better off on my own…" he thought glumly.


End file.
